Save Me From the Darkness
by dreamsweetmydear
Summary: AU, OOC. [KenKao]Himura Kenshin is coming home to Tokyo as a permanent resident and can't wait to see his best friend, Kaoru. What will he do when he learns her life isn't the bed of roses she makes it out to be? R&R! [COMPLETE]
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer-Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony Entertainment, and Shueisha Jump! Comics. All characters mentioned in following installments of this story are used simply for entertainment purposes and not as a way to make a profit.

SAVE ME FROM THE DARKNESS Chapter One-The True Reality 

_To: "Himura Kenshin"VertiklyChallenged17@marz_inc.com_

_From: "Kamiya Kaoru"Music_is_Life07@musicplanet.com_

_Date: 1/30/20044:30:42 PM PST_

_Subject: Packed yet?_

_Dear Kenshin,_

_How've you been? Are you ready to come home? Things aren't the same here without you. We still remember the day you left. All of us were heart broken, you know that? We wished you didn't have to move, but then when one lives with a guy like Hiko…well, you come to expect just about anything, I suppose. _

_Yeah right._

_We were very happy to learn that you're coming home to Tokyo. I'm ecstatic, and so is everyone else. I've missed my best friend for far too long, you know. At least we've managed to keep in touch through letters and email. I'm attaching a photo of the group; we all look a little older now, but knowing you, you'll probably recognize who is who. _

_As for what I've been upto, well, the dojo is doing pretty well. I have three students, two boys and a girl. Umm…oh yea! I just opened my new coffee shop, Music Planet! And it's great, because it's a more like a café and music store than just one or the other. We have karaoke everyday Wednesday through Saturday. And on Friday and Saturday nights we have live entertainment. It's not a big place, just a small little coffee shop. I want to start one so badly with all of us in it. Maybe when you get here, we can do that…_

_I've got to go now, but I can't wait to see you next month! I'm so happy you're moving back here. WOO-HOO!_

_Your Best Friend,_

_~Kaoru_

Himura Kenshin stared at his computer screen and smiled. He was just as glad as his friends that he was moving back to Tokyo to take care of the branch of his surrogate father's company. 

Running a hand through his unruly red hair, he let his mind go back to his best friend. Kaoru would always be Kaoru-rushed, stubborn, caring, and crazy all at once.

He had no idea how much had actually changed about her, though, and he was in for a scary shock.

Halfway around the world, a thin woman with long black hair sat huddled on a queen sized bed, writing in a book. Blue eyes stared dazedly at the page on lined paper as her pen scratched on the page, allowing the words to simply flow onto the paper. Quickly glancing at her finished set of lyrics, she closed the book and placed it in her bedside table along with her pen. Hearing the front door open with a bang, Kamiya Kaoru quickly ran down to the living room to welcome her fiancé home after a long day of work. 

She smiled at him as he kicked off his shoes, and crossed the room to remove his coat. She stared at him, his platinum hair glinting in the ceiling lights, his turquoise eyes glimmering in a strange happiness. She wondered why he was so happy.

"Welcome home, Enishi. Would you like something to eat, or have you eaten already?" she asked.

"I've eaten, but I'm still hungry."

"Well, I made some miso soup and rice for dinner, and I could heat it up for you if—"

He cut her off with a rough kiss on the mouth, and she noticed a sickening sour taste to his lips. The nauseating scent of alcohol filled her nostrils, and she ripped her mouth away from his by turning her head to the side. Taking his arms from around her waist, she looked at him with slight fear. 

"Have you been drinking?" she questioned him, and she noticed he was swaying slightly.

"Why the hell do you care? What I do is my business," he spat out angrily in his  drunken state. He was drunk, obviously, but something about the crazed look in his eyes told her that he was knew exactly what he was doing. Slowly backing away from him, she watched as he smiled a strange smile. He looked like a hunter about to pounce on his prey. Still walking back, fear gripped her heart when she hit the wall. The next thing she knew, he was standing three feet away from her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice coming out calm, while her heart hammered against her ribcage.

"I just want to have some fun with my bride-to-be, that's all. Why wait until the honeymoon?" he asked with an eerie nonchalant tone to his voice.

"Don't come any closer, Enishi!" she yelled at him. _"I thought he'd changed. I made him go to rehabilitation, and he's been fine for several months now. What happened? Did something at work cause him to become like this? Oh Kami-sama, please help me!"_

He glared at her, and growled. 

"Do you dare to defy me? You are to be my wife; it's about time you learned your place!" he yelled, grabbing her shoulders and slamming her into the wall behind her. 

She screwed her eyes shut; she would not cry out in front of him. Maybe if she didn't cry out, he'd be less brutal. After all, he loved her because he knew that she was strong. 

That's what he'd told her, at least. 

"You won't yell, huh?" He slammed her into the wall again.

"Don't worry, I'll make you yell, you stupid bitch!" Slamming her into the wall for a third time, she realized that he'd never really been cured, and started remembering all the times he'd yelled at her in the past two months for doing a minor something wrong. 

She felt his hand on her shirt collar and attempted to fight back by kicking out with her left foot. She connected with his sensitive area, and he dropped to the ground in a heap of pain, the hand gripping her shirt tightening and ripping it in the process. 

Moving quickly, she ran to the bedroom, and locked the door. Reaching into one of the bottom drawers of her bureau, she pulled out her bokken from under her belongings. She knew he was strong, and was not going down without a fight. 

 Listening closely, Kaoru waited quietly for the sound of his approach. She heard slight footsteps on the stairs, then a crash from the open end of the hallway, and then the final thud of a body falling to the floor. 

After waiting a few minutes, she unlocked the door to the bedroom and peeked outside. What she saw made her sigh in relief.

Yukishiro Enishi lay passed out on the floor of the hallway after crashing into a decorative wooden side table. 

Deciding it would be smart to at least put him in a more comfortable position, she walked over and lifted his body in order to half-drag him to their bedroom, wincing in pain when her momentarily forgotten injuries sent jabs of white hot pain lancing up her back. Getting him into the bedroom and onto the bed, she made him comfortable and pulled the covers over him, allowing him to sleep in peace. 

Finally done with that, she grabbed her nightclothes—a pair of purple sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt with the Tokyo University logo on the front of it—and headed to the bathroom to inspect the damage done to her body. 

Looking into the mirror in front of her, she could see a reflection of herself from the backside in the large mirror on the opposite wall. After stripping herself to ready for a hot bath, she turned the tap on and let hot water pour into the tub as she examined her backside. 

Her skin was tender and covered in bruises. Placing her fingers tenderly to her head, she checked for injury near her neck and in her scalp. She sighed, and stepped into the bath.

She was lucky, very lucky.

She just prayed there wasn't a time like this again.

Of course…

Her prayers from before had turned up unfruitful tonight. Was there a point in continuing to pray for someone to save her?

After all, no one had saved her yet.

And she had long ago lost the strength to save herself from him.

Defense wise, the only thing she could do was fend him off as best she could with her skills in kendo while she still could. But she knew deep down…

…There would soon be a time when she would be broken beyond repair.

As for keeping this a secret from her friends…

…She could only hide it with a smile. That is until she couldn't take anymore.

She would rather her life reach it's breaking point and ask help, then have people try to help her right now. It was stupid to say so, but she couldn't be weak right now. 

"I'm sure my life will turn around soon. I just have to wait…" 

**~*~**

Okay, as you can see, I've started a new fic. I'm planning to actually complete this one though. I'm going to make a confession though—I don't like the ending for this chapter all that much. I feel it's slightly unrealistic and unnatural. I feel like I made her stupid. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to change it and make it batter, so I'll keep it, and maybe further chapters will be better.

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**_Be ready for some darkness in later chapters. I think I'm going to like this one a lot though; it seems I have a love for dark, angsty drama…_**

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**_Either that, or I'm just majorly schizophrenic. Of course, I already knew that._**

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**_Note: I plan to keep the chapters short, and it's possible that it will move a little fast so please forgive me if you get lost and confused. I'll try to make a note of passing time when writing the chapters. As you can tell, this chapter is really pretty short as it is. Again, forgive me._**

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**_Personally, I think I can do pretty well with short chapters. =)_**

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**_Anyway, I'm done blabbing. Just tell me: to keep or not to keep? If you don't like it, then I'll kill it. Oooh, fire…pretty…_**

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**_Gah! I HAVE to stop doing that!_**

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**_All righty then! I'm all done here._**

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**_Read and Review, and I hope you enjoy!_**

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**_--Ice Angel Kaoru [Signing out-6:57 PM PST, February 3, 2004]_**__


	2. Chapter Two

-SAVE ME FROM THE DARKNESS- Chapter 2-Happenings of the Present 

It had been a week since the incident with Enishi.

He had apologized and things had gone back to normal.

But she was still concerned about him.

Kaoru was starting to get suspicious of his behavior. Normally Enishi came home half an hour after she got there on the days that she went to the coffee house, which were Monday thru Saturday. But nowadays, he came home about three to four hours after she did, and that worried her. However, when she asked him about it, he said that work had held him back. 

She'd heard of this scenario occurring with several of her college classmates: boyfriend comes home late from work saying work held him back, when he was actually being a two-timing bastard fulfilling his manly needs.

Since she was unsure of the situation and didn't have enough information to confirm this scenario true, she asked him to call her on her cell, and let her know he was going to be late coming home so that she could plan her evening accordingly.

And he did.

What he didn't know was that being alone gave her time to dwell on the past-the past she particularly wasn't interested in dwelling on. Of course, she would always push it to the back of her mind when it came up by occupying herself with something else. It was said that dwelling on past events isn't healthy, and she would much rather keep herself healthy.

~*~

"Oi Kaoru!"

A tall man in his mid-twenties walked into the cheerful coffee house, his spiky brown hair going every which way and his brown eyes laughing as he walked over to help her with the karaoke equipment. 

"Arigatou, Sano," Kaoru replied, wiping the sweat off of her brow. Lugging heavy equipment was tough!

Not that she minded, of course. She looked around at her treasure-her coffee house. This was her haven, where music, coffee, and good food mixed with cheerful smiles and glowing eyes of contented customers. At the moment, DJ Sammy's _Heaven_ played over the speakers, as the clang of chopsticks and china filled the air. While you could get coffee here at anytime from seven in the morning to nine in the evening on most days, the place really came alive during the afternoon and evening. 

Music Planet was small, set in a two floor circular building near the sea at the Tokyo Decks Beach in the Odaiba district of Tokyo, giving the coffee house/music store a nice waterfront view and lots of customers. Kaoru had made sure to pick a place with lots of windows and she found that this building suited her perfectly. One would enter from the main entrance downstairs, and take a spiral staircase near the back of the music shop up to the restaurant. The restaurant had a good sized stage which was surrounded by tables with a free space in between for a dance floor. 

Kaoru came in everyday that the place was open except Sunday because Music Planet was closed. She sought comfort here, and enjoyed spending her time with her customers. She met so many of her friends on a regular basis this way as well because they would just drop by to say hello or help out (even though there was a fully working staff). Her dream was that one day, she would be able to form her own band and perform on this very stage, and go to the top from there. It was a big dream, and perhaps something to be dreamt by high school students, but so what? She was only two years out of college, but no one said she couldn't continue dreaming.

"Oi, Kaoru! What do you want me to do with this?" Sano called to her.

Coming back to her senses, she directed him to set the piece of equipment on the right side of the stage. Setting it down, he began to fiddle with wires and plugs and make sense of the technology in front of him to make sure it would work correctly late.

That was how Sagara Sanosuke was. He openly admitted to be a 'techie', considering he had a degree in computer science. It was quite funny actually; he had a degree but had no job and still managed to pay the rent for his small studio apartment. His girlfriend, Megumi, was always yelling at him to get a job instead of drinking and gambling his nights away. 

Of course, his retort was, "I have a job. My job is doing odd jobs. Why else do you think I roam between your clinic and jou-chan's coffee shop?"

And it was quite true-he did several odd jobs that dealt with fixing things. Most of the time, he was fixing his neighbors' computers, and most of his neighbors were college students.

"Kaoru, the equipment's done and ready to go. I'm gonna head off and go see Megitsune; I promised her I'd take her out to dinner tonight, and we're planning to come here since it's a karaoke night. But first, I have to get her away from that clinic," he said.

"Good luck with that one," she replied with a slight chuckle.

"Ja ne, jou-chan!" he yelled, starting down the stairs.

"Ja ne, Sano, and arigatou gozaimasu!" she called in reply.

"No problem!" he yelled back and disappeared from view.

~*~

Things went well that evening at the coffee shop.

Several people decided to participate in the madness known as karaoke, and Sano and his girlfriend, Sensei Takani Megumi, actually managed to make it back. Kaoru said hello to them and chatted with them for about a half hour, then got ready to leave. After instructing the general manager to lock up when everyone had left, she headed home, hoping that Enishi would be home that night.

After all, he hadn't called her and let her know that he was going to be late.

Stepping into the house, she could smell something delicious cooking in the kitchen.

"Tadaima!" she replied.

"Okaeri nasai, Kaoru!" Enishi's voice called from the kitchen.

"What are you making? Whatever it is smells really good, and I'm starving!" she said, walking into the room.

"Nothing much. Just some ramen and chicken teriyaki."

"Mmm. Sounds and smells like heaven on earth," she said, her mouth watering at the mere mention of chicken teriyaki.

"When will it be ready?" she asked.

"It'll still be another fifteen. Why don't you take a quick shower? By the time you're done, dinner should be ready," he suggested, turning to her with a sweet smile.

"Okay. I'll be back soon," she said, going upstairs to change.

Twenty minutes later, Kaoru headed downstairs to the kitchen and dining area to see the table set and Enishi bringing food to the table. Walking over to him quickly, she took the plate of chicken from him and set it on the table. Taking their seats across from each other, the couple began serving food to themselves.

"Itadakimasu!"

Kaoru dug in to her food, savoring the taste of the chicken and the rice. After finishing a bowl of the wonderful meal, she reached to serve herself a second when Enishi stopped her. She looked at him confused; she wanted to eat, since she had very little that day at the coffee house.

"You're _still_ hungry?" he asked disbelievingly. 

"Yea. I didn't eat much at the coffee shop today," she explained.

"But you just had a huge bowl of chicken and rice. You should be full," he said, his eyes boring into her own.

"What are you implying?" she asked, her tone taking on an icy edge, and her eyes swirling with anger and annoyance.

"Well.um.you're not exactly the slimmest person in the world." he muttered quietly.

"Are you calling me _FAT?!_" she cried, her fists clenching and her eyes flashing with unreleased fury.

"No! I'm just saying that it wouldn't hurt to lose a little weight," he said, trying to save himself.

"Enishi, I already exercise every morning with my students. Are you telling me that you think I'm not exercising enough? Besides that, I don't normally eat anything unhealthy, and you know that! Sure I like chocolate, and I'm addicted to it, but you know that I have self-control on the matter. So don't you _dare_ tell me I should lose some weight!" she yelled at him, jumping up from her seat with such force that the seat scraped back on the tile of the floor. 

Kaoru wasn't going to let anyone tell her how to eat or how much she should exercise. Storming off to her bedroom, she slammed the door and locked it after throwing a blanket and pillow into the hallway. _'He should get the hint when he sees that,'_ she thought to herself.

_'I'm not fat or even chunky. Megumi has been a firm witness to that. Heck, she made sure I wasn't skin and bones after.whoa, hold on! Going WAY off topic! But really, she made sure I was slim but not a stick. And Kenshin was there to help too.Gah! Stop going off topic, Kaoru!'_ she screamed at herself as she slid into bed.

_'I'm glad I can fight off his words. But I don't know if I can hold out much against his actions.'_ she thought to herself. _'Who am I kidding? I've been trying to hold off his actions forever. He's just too strong,'_ she turned over.

_'He seems less aggressive, though. He's called me and let me know when he was going to be late, and he came before me today and made dinner,'_ she turned over again, trying to find a comfortable position.

_'Even though the meal led to our little spat, he still came home early to be with me. I'm thankful for that. Who knows? Maybe rehab really did do the trick,'_ her eyes were getting heavy.

_'Hmm.I'm going to go to the library to do some research tomorrow. I wanna find out some more about his aggressive behavior. There should be some information there.'_ she thought to herself, finally drifting off to the abyss of the subconscious.

~Dream Sequence~

_"Kaoru! We need to go!"_

_Flashes of broken glass and drops of blood flitted through her mind._

_"Kuso! Who snitched?"_

_A group of people was running into a dark alley._

_"Chikuso, CHIKUSO! I knew this was stupid!"_

_Shadowed faces and glowing eyes added to her hazy visions._

_"I want this to end!"_

_A voice was screaming in fury._

_"Make it stop!"_

_The sound of fighting rose over the loud chaos._

_"Please make it stop!"_

_And then. she saw him._

_In that single beam of light._

_In all the chaos._

_She saw her savior._

~End Dream Sequence~

Kaoru sat up abruptly, her breathing ragged, and her eyes shedding tears. She had dreamed of memories past, memories she wanted to get rid of. The end of it all, however, was what got her so emotional. 

Her best friend had pulled her from her insane world of gang violence and anorexia. He'd brought her back to life. 

He was her savior, her companion; they knew each other like the back of their hand. She was eternally grateful to him. 

She couldn't wait to see him.

Arigatou gozaimasu. 

_.Kenshin._

~*~

A/N: Well, there's the second chapter. Kaoru's past should be pretty obvious now. I'm not entirely sure how I got her mixed up in something sad again.

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**_Eh, who cares? As long as it's dark, wholesome, angsty goodness, life is good!_**

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**_We'll get a glimpse of Kenshin's past soon enough! _**

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**_Arigatou gozaimasu for the reviews, minna-san! I'm glad this story hit it off so well._**

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**_I'm not planning to focus on a lot of other couples, but I'll try to fit them in somewhere._**

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**_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! R&R!_**

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**_Ja ne! _**

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**_--Ice Angel Kaoru [Signing out-Sunday, February 08, 2004  10:46 PM PST]_**


	3. Chapter Three

**_IAK: YAY! I'm back with another chapter! _**

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**_Kenshin: ORO! How are you so hyper, de gozaru ka? You haven't even had any sugar yet! _**

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**_IAK: So? When you're me, you just need to be insane to be hyper, but sugar helps! YAY FOR CHOCOLATE! _**

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**_Kenshin: Orororo… *swirly eyes* _**

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**_IAK: I've received a few complaints about my portrayal of Enishi in my fanfic. Sorry, Enishi-fans! Didn't mean to make you mad! But please understand that I am basing his character off of what I've seen in the Seisouhen OVA, and he came off as a possessive, violent guy, and would not have been surprised if he had managed to hurt Kaoru at some point. Sorry, but that's just what he seemed to me. _**

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**_Something to keep in mind when reading parts with an abusive Enishi—most people who are abusive were abused earlier in their lives. So let's just say his family background isn't the greatest. _**

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**_Another note-Tomoe is Enishi's FIRST COUSIN in this story, so they are still really close, but are not brother and sister. You'll see how this applies later. TOMOE AND AKIRA ARE A MARRIED COUPLE IN THIS STORY—AND THEY'RE ALIVE! Okay, that basically covers that. _**

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**_Kenshin: Ano, read the first chapter for the disclaimer, de gozaru. _**

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**_IAK: Thanks Kenshin. Now on with the fic! _**

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**_Warning__: There will most likely be some OOC-ness in this, previous, and following chapters. This chapter is in Kenshin's POV. _**

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**_Save Me From the Darkness _**

**_Chapter Three: Coming Home_**

"Oh, Keeeennnnsshhiiiinnn!!" 

I groggily pulled the comforter off of my head and opened one eye. 

A pair of dark eyes in a pale face greeted me. 

"How did you get into my apartment, Tomoe? And is Akira here? 'Cause is he is, I'm going to kill him for letting you come in here to wake me from my dream." 

"Oh, stop! If I know you well enough, you were dreaming about a certain friend of yours. To answer your other questions, no Akira is not here, and I used a spare key to get in." 

I groaned and put the covers back over my head. Note to self: NEVER give out a spare key. 

I think I'd fallen asleep for about five minutes when I had the unpleasant sensation of something cold and wet pouring down my shirt. My eyes snapped open and sat straight up. 

"Cold, COLD, **COLD**, **_COLD!_**" 

Turning my head to the sound of someone laughing, I glared at a guy about my age. Akira, no doubt. 

"Akira?" I asked politely. 

"Yes?" 

I grinned. 

"Run." 

"Bye!" He ran like there was no tomorrow. 

Looking down at myself, and my bed, I checked to see how much damage was done. My hair was a mess or wet and dry strands., my Evanescence shirt was wet, and my bed now had a wet spot where I had been sleeping moments ago. I took a glance at the alarm clock on my bedside table. 

"Crap!" 

Shishou is going to have my head on a platter, if I'm not in Bakersfield by 11 o' clock. Of course, leave it to him to live in a secluded place like Bakersfield . 

I got dressed quickly, and made my way to the kitchen. Lo and behold, there sat Akira and Tomoe—IN MY KITCHEN! 

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?" 

I just didn't get it obviously, until I sat down to find a plate of pancakes in front of me. Guess Tomoe made breakfast. 

"Orororo…ano…Arigatou, guys." 

"It was nothing. Listen, it's almost nine, so finish up fast so you can head out and be back by early this evening. We have some stuff planned with the others, and will make you join us," Tomoe said. 

"That's fine with me, as long as there is no alcohol involved. You know how I hate the stuff." 

"Yeah, yeah. We know. We were just planning to go for some Korean BBQ and then we could go catch a movie or something," Akira said. 

"Sure, that works. I'll be back soon, but right now I have to leave." 

"Okay then. Ja, Kenshin!" Tomoe said, leading Akira out of my apartment. 

"Hai, see you later, guys!" I called to them. I stepped out of the apartment after grabbing my keys, a light coat, and my trusty sakabatou, locked the door, and made my way to my wonderful maroon 2004 Acura RL. Settling myself into my seat, I put the key into the ignition and felt the car roar to life. The sound of Do As Infinity's "D/N/A" came pouring out of the car speakers. Backing out carefully, I drove out of my apartment complex, and headed to the freeway entrance for 101 north, and followed the signs onto I-5 headed north to Sacramento . 

An hour and a half later, I started seeing signs for Bakersfield , and took the off ramp for 178 East, and took the exit for Mt. Vernon . Shishou lived up in the hills; I didn't blame him either. The view was great, even if was just a view of Bakersfield and the Kern River . I found his street and turned into it looking for our house. It was our house even though I didn't live there anymore. 

Shishou came out in front to greet me, with his usual smirk on his face. 

"You made it just in time. It just turned eleven," he said. 

"I made sure to leave by nine. It's almost a two-hour drive from LA to here, de gozaru yo." 

"Good. My baka deshi is a little smarter than I thought." 

"ORO?" 

I think he complimented me without really realizing it. 

~*~ 

At three o' clock, I headed back for Los Angeles —"The City of Angels". I was going to miss LA when I went back to Japan on Friday. My backseat was filled with boxes of…well, stuff really. There were a few boxes of clothes; the rest was my other stuff—my vast CD collection, my photo albums, my scrapbook, books I'd read again and again, and a few other things. There was one very special item with me as well—an indigo hair ribbon. Kaoru made me promise to bring it back with me when she and the others saw me off at Narita International Airport eight years ago. 

"This is just a loan," she had said. "You have to promise to bring it back." 

I would fulfill that promise. 

Upon reaching my apartment, it was already five-thirty. LA traffic was such a pain sometimes. 

I got inside, freshened up a bit with a quick shower, and started packing. Finding the silence uncomfortable, I turned on my stereo to hear John Rzeznik and the Goo Goo Dolls pouring out "Iris" off of one of my various burned CD's. 

By the time I finished packing the boxes, it was seven o' clock in the evening. 

I heard knocking at the door at about seven-fifteen, and made my way around the various boxes to open it. 

"Hello Kenshin. How was Bakersfield ?" Akira asked, leading Tomoe inside and around the boxes to sit on the couch. I closed the door, and moved the boxes out of the way to make some walking room. 

" Bakersfield was as good as it could be—small, quiet, and boring." 

I liked Bakersfield enough to live there for a few months; that is until university started. I moved to UCLA, and met Tomoe. We went out together for about a year, but figured out we weren't really meant for each other. We remained close friends, and then she met Akira. They dated for about two years, and the summer before our senior year in college, they were married. I was their best man. 

My other friends began to show up within the next 30 minutes: Chou--a Japanese-American guy who became my friend in college with blond hair like a broom--and Anji—a tall guy originally from Japan who also became my college friend. Then there was Yumi and Makoto, the only other couple in our group. And finally, there was Kamatari, the resident gay guy who owned a successful fashion line. Kamatari was actually coming back to Japan with me because he wanted to start a boutique in his hometown— Tokyo . 

Yup. He's from our hometown. Our, of course, meaning my friends back in Japan . 

Anyway, we gathered at my place, then headed out for some food and a movie. I enjoyed the evening. It was fun to just hang out with my friends for awhile. We took a bunch of pictures for memory's sake—lots of candids, some pose pics, and a few group photos. 

Heh…more pictures for my scrapbook, embarrassing ones and all. 

Blackmail is good when you have dirt, especially when you did a minor in photography and know how to take embarrassing photos. 

I blame Yumi and Makoto for my bad habits. 

~*~ 

The day of my flight back to Japan was here. 

I woke up at seven Friday morning. I had to be at LAX Tom Bradley terminal by five this afternoon. That gave me nine and a half hours to get the last minute stuff done. 

It's a good thing Hiko offered to come down and take care of shipping my furniture and my car and stuff to Tokyo . He would be arriving at about ten or so, depending on what time he was able to get onto the road and how bad traffic was. 

I'd just gotten dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt with sleeves that covered three-quarter of my arms, when Akira and Tomoe came into the apartment. Tomoe went to the kitchen to make some breakfast—it was miso soup and rice from what my nose picked up—while Akira helped me close and label the last few boxes. 

"That's all of it," I said around nine-thirty. 

"Guys, come and eat," Tomoe called from the kitchen. 

We grinned when our stomachs growled and we headed into the kitchen. 

Breakfast was quick, and by ten the cooking utensils had been packed. By ten-fifteen, Shishou had was at my apartment with a big U-Haul truck. He would take my stuff back to Bakersfield and send it off with FedEx. I would receive it all by Monday afternoon. Kamatari and I were moving into the same apartment, but he was going to take care of his stuff on his own. 

We started loading stuff into the U-Haul and by one o'clock , everything was loaded. Anji, Chou, Makoto, and Yumi came by around then with Jumbo Jacks and Oreo Cookie milkshakes for lunch, and we all sat down on my apartment floor to eat. We were done with lunch by two. 

"I can't believe it's actually happening," I said while looking around my empty apartment. My luggage and carry-ons were sitting by the door. Other than that and the trash from our lunch, there was nothing. 

"It's gonna be really empty with you gone," Akira said. 

"Hmm…it won't be the same without you, Kenshin," Yumi added. 

"Yeah, man. We're gonna miss ya like hell," Chou agreed. 

"Aw, I feel so special!" I said in this fake, girly, high-pitched voice. Everyone laughed. 

Shishou just sorta looked at me like I was nuts. 

"What time is Kamatari showing up?" Tomoe asked. 

"He should be here in about fifteen minutes. It's two-fifteen right now," I said. 

True enough, Kamatari showed up at exactly two-thirty, dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt, and an open black vest. He removed his shoes by the door, put his stuff by mine, and came to sit down in our circle. 

"I'M GONNA MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH!" he yelled, and started to cry. 

"We're going to miss you, too, Kamatari!" The girls and Chou—of all people, it was Chou—replied. 

"GROUP HUG!" Kamatari crowed. 

The next thing I knew I was in a pile of several people and trying to breathe. 

~*~ 

We reached Tom Bradley early by fifteen minutes, which gave us an advantage in the long line for check-in. After taking care of check-in and seat preference (I wanted a window seat near the front of my section—which I got—and Kamatari wanted to be with me so he wouldn't be alone so he ended up getting the seat next to me), it was time to say our final good-byes to our friends and companions of so many years. 

"Call us when you get there," Tomoe said. 

"Don't you DARE forget to send us emails!" Yumi said. 

"Have a safe flight," Akira wished us. 

"Have fun with jetlag," Makoto sadistically told us. 

"I'm gonna hunt both of you down if you don't stay in touch with me!" Chou threatened with a grin. 

"Don't forget us," Anji said. 

"WE'LL MISS YOU!" everyone said. 

"GROUP HUG!" Kamatari initiated. 

What the hell? It was for good-bye's sake. 

"Bye, everyone! And don't worry—WE'LL STAY IN TOUCH! BYE!!" Kamatari and I yelled as we walked to the entrance to our gate. 

We got to the gate twenty minutes later (long lines tend to do that) and waited for boarding. 

I think I fell asleep, because the next thing I heard was: "Now boarding Singapore Airlines Flight SQ176 to Tokyo . We'll begin pre-boarding with those passengers in First and Raffles Class, passengers with disabilities, and passengers with small children…" 

We waited our turn and soon it was time for us to go on board. We found our seats and got settled for a long journey. 

I smiled as I watched the plane take-off from the runway. 

I was going home… 

**~*~ **

**_And that's the end of Chapter 3! You may have thought it weird that I know so much about _** **_Los Angeles_** **_ and LAX. The thing is that I live in _** **_Bakersfield_** **_ [Yes, it's a real town, and everything is in a 10-mile radius. It is truly that small.], and it really is about two hours north of LA. I know a lot about Tom Bradley Int'l Terminal because I do a lot of international traveling with my family, because of which I have pretty much memorized the boarding process on airlines. I've flown _** **_Singapore_** **_ Airlines a lot, actually, and it's my favorite airline, so I picked as the one they would travel by, as I know it the best. _**

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**_Just thought you'd like to know. _**

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**_Next chapter—Kaoru and friends welcome Kenshin and Kamatari at the airport. _**

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**_See you then! _**

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**_Don't forget to R+R! _**

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**_--Ice Angel Kaoru [Signing Out-Monday, _** **_April 26, 2004_** **_, _** **_3:06 AM PST_** **_] _**


	4. Chapte Four

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. _**

******_Note: Possible OOCness ahead. This chapter told from Kenshin's POV. _**********

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_**Save Me From the Darkness**___

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**_Chapter Four-The Welcoming Party _**

I'd spent the majority of the flight watching movies, playing Zelda, and listening to music on my CD player. Kamatari and I played cards and talked or read in between. We were doing the same things really.

Yes, I do like to act like a kid...occasionally. It's fun.

I think Kamatari gets a kick out of it, too.

Normally on flights, I stay awake for the majority of the journey, and sleep for maybe a few hours. This time was no exception. I had been sleeping for a few hours [I ended up sleeping through breakfast because of it] when I was awoken by an announcement over the PA system.

"Good Morning, everyone. This is your pilot speaking. We have begun our descent into Tokyo. We will be arriving at Narita International Airport in approximately 30 minutes. Thank you for flying Singapore Airlines. We hope you enjoyed your flight."

A few minutes later, there was another announcement

"Good morning, everyone. This is your cabin crew speaking. Flight attendants will be coming by to collect the headsets, and KrisWorld will be switched off. Please turn off all handheld electronic devices such as laptop computers and CD players for landing. We ask that you return your seats to their upright positions, and stow away tray tables and footrests. Thank you for flying Singapore Airlines, and we hope you enjoyed your flight."

And then there was another announcement in Chinese, then again in Japanese.

They do a lot of announcing. Seriously.

The landing was smooth and easy, and every minute my excitement was mounting. In just a little bit, I would be seeing my friends again for the first time in almost seven years.

The minute I got off of the plane and stepped into Narita International, I was bursting with energy.

Kamatari was in relatively the same state as I was. I could see it on his face: his eyes were glowing, and a big grin was plastered on his visage.

"Come on, Kenshin! Let's hurry up and head to the baggage claim, and get the hell out of here! I want to get to the apartment and take a shower!"

So we headed to baggage claim, got our bags, then headed to Immigration, and headed off to meet the welcoming parties that we were expecting.

As I wheeled my cart up the ramp, I could clearly make out the faces of people I had been dying to see for the past several years.

First up, there was Sanosuke; his tall yet muscular figure was leaning against the railing. He gave a whoop for joy when he saw me, and made several hand motions and shouts over his shoulder. From what I could tell, the group had put him to look-out for me, and now he was calling them forward.

When I got off the ramp, and turned toward my friends, I was greeted by several shouts and hugs.

There was Misao, her braid bouncing around behind her. She was still short for her age, but very pretty too. It was like she couldn't stop moving; she kept jumping up and down. Of course, Misao was always hyper; she could never stand still.

Then there was Aoshi. Misao's been in love with Aoshi for the longest time. He's the stoic, meditative type. For as long as I can remember, Aoshi thought everything through before he would make a decision on something. Oh, and everything means everything. Even when the group would get together to have some fun, he would weigh all the pros and cons and then decide if he wanted to join us in our activity. Since he's not much for physical contact, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an embrace from him.

Then there was Megumi, one of the brainiest women I know. From the very beginning, she wanted to be a doctor. And now she is. I believe she became a women's doctor, but she tends to treat little kids too. She gave me a warm welcoming embrace.

Soujiro, the eternally smiling boy, was standing next to Aoshi. He walked over and gave me a hug, his brown hair slightly falling into his face. Soujiro came from the slummier side of Tokyo, and didn't have a strong family background. He became our friend in our younger years when he transferred to our elementary school. And now look at him—he works as a TV news anchor.

And last but not least, there was Sano. Fighting enthusiast that he is, he ended up with a degree in computer science. God knows why he does odd jobs instead of working in some big computer company. He gave me a hug tight enough to pop a few stiff bones and muscles. Oh well, can't do anything about him now. Only a miracle can help him.

_Wait a minute…Misao, Aoshi, Megumi, Soujiro, Sano… _

"Hey guys? Where's Kaoru?" I asked.

"Oh Kenshin. She said something about an emergency at the restaurant, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to see you today, but that she would try to make it," Misao explained.

"Oh."

I was at a loss for words. Kaoru had not come to see me. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed. It probably showed, too, because the next thing I knew Megumi was giving me a hug and saying it would be okay.

"Soujiro! It's so good to see you again!"

I looked up to see Kamatari embracing my smiley friend. Raising an eyebrow, I asked the question everyone seemed to have on their minds.

"You guys know each other?"

Yes, it's obvious, but I never cared before and I don't now.

"Of course we do! We're cousins after all!"

Well, that explained everything.

"Hey Kenshin, let's head to your guys' apartment, and then we can chill over there," Sanosuke suggested.

I nodded in agreement, as did most everyone else. Aoshi thought it over, and then agreed as well.

And so we headed from Narita to my apartment in Odaiba.

* * *

We arrived at the apartment building and went into the lobby. It was comfortable and tastefully done. Marble floors, pillars supporting a high ceiling, a few couches and armchairs in a corner around a fireplace, and sleek metal elevator doors.

I walked over to the reception desk and picked up the apartment key, reminding myself to go and make a copy of it by the middle of the week.

Kamatari and I were on the twelfth floor of the fourteen-floor building. Deciding to bring up our bags later, Kamatari, my friends, and I took the elevator up to our floor.

We got out of the elevator and followed the signs to the 620 to 630 area. Following the apartment numbers placed on brass plaques by each door, we found our way to mine.

"Here we are," I said as I unlocked the door to apartment 627.

I flicked on the light switch.

"**SURPRISE!!!**"

I almost fell over. _What the hell?!_

There we were standing in the doorway to my new apartment, staring at the large banner that decorated what I assumed was the living room.

_Welcome Back Kenshin and Kamatari!_ the banner read.

To one side there was a table set up with snacks and drinks [I noticed that there was no liquor, thank Kami-sama], with everything from sushi to chips and dip to ice cream.

Sano pushed me forward with a big grin and I looked around at the place. There were a few more people in the living room that I had wanted to see.

"It's so great to see you again, Kenshin!" Sekihara Tae said while simultaneously giving me a hug.

Tae is the owner of the Akabeko, another popular restaurant in Tokyo. I remember when we were in high school, our group spent long hours there studying or just hanging out. Tae's father was really great; he'd let us have free food and total run of the back room. We furnished the back room with a TV, a couch and a few armchairs and beanbags, and made that one of our centers. Tae would be in and out of the place since she worked there as a waitress.

Ah, good times.

Okita Soushi came up to me next with a warm embrace and boisterous "Welcome back!".

I admire Soushi a lot. See, Soushi has a weak heart. He's unable to overexert himself, but he's still a sword master. Kami knows how he did it, but he became a skilled swordsman. I remember when we were kids, he and I would go against each other just to practice. We both have different styles of swordsmanship, but we liked to go against each other just for the fun of it.

But one day, he went to the hospital. I was at home when I found out. He was having trouble breathing and had been admitted to Tokyo Adventist. I'd asked Shishou to take me to the hospital so I could see him. I remember how frail he looked in that hospital bed, hooked up to a heart monitor and breathing through an oxygen mask. It was one of the few times I remember realizing that there is such a thing as suffering.

And then, I saw the person I had been dying to see for so many years. She looked like she might be in college still, but I knew better. Her figure was youthful, but her eyes seemed much older. They were still very happy, very joyful, sparkling sapphire eyes, but older somehow, as if they had seen things most people didn't really see. Her hair was longer; in school she always kept it no lower than her waist. Now it went down to mid-thigh, and was pulled back from her face in a low ponytail. She still had her bangs, though, and still looked just as sweet as she did in school.

_Kaoru… _

I must have been staring for at least half a minute when I was shaken out of my stupor due to a nudge at my ribs. Smiling so much I though my face was going to crack, I walked forward and reached into my pocket with my right hand, and pulled out a certain indigo ribbon.

Holding it out to her, I said, "When I left, you told me it was just a loan and that I had to bring it back with me when I came back. I believe now is the time to return it to you."

By now everyone had drifted away, mingling with each other or, in Sano's case, eating.

She held out her hand to me, and smiled. Her eyes shimmered in the light, and I saw unshed tears of joy.

"Okaeri nasai, Kenshin."

I took her hand with my right hand and placed the ribbon into her palm.

"Tadaima."

We hugged each other then. It felt so good to do so after so many years. Even when we were younger, we'd give each other hugs a lot. To us, it was just normal. Other people tended to get the misconception that we were more than friends, and then we had to explain that we weren't. But it was no problem; we didn't mind—most of the time. Occasionally, Kaoru would lose her temper and bite the person's head off.

We always had a great time together because we were so close. Since we knew each other from our sandbox days, we knew everything about each other.

Kaoru's story is really complicated. She grew up without a mother, so she and her father were really close. Kamiya-san taught her how to fight and defend herself and she loved him with all her heart, like all daughters do for their fathers. So when he died, Kaoru was horribly brokenhearted.

In his will, Kamiya-san gave Kaoru their house, which was also a dojo, but she couldn't own it until she was of legal age. Until then, she was put into the care of an old family friend. Unfortunately, the family friend didn't take a liking to Kaoru and kicked her out.

Stubborn as she was, Kaoru knew she needed to go to school and knew she couldn't do it living on the streets. So, reluctantly, she turned herself over to Social Services, and they put her into foster care. She had only two conditions with every foster family she stayed with [she had almost 15 foster homes], and they were that she be allowed to attend school wherever her friends went and allowed to continue practicing her kendo style.

Her foster families were okay sometimes, and other times they were horrible. Because of her unstable home life and the grief of her father's death, she ended up in a gang. It was called the Vicious Tigers or something like that. Along with gang violence, she got the strange notion that she was fat and so became anorexic. All of our friends and I tried to help her, but we weren't really able to get through to her. She'd blocked us out, and started hanging out more with her "other" friends. The girl who was called the "Kenjutsu Princess" was withering away.

And then one day, she fainted at school and was taken to the hospital. I remember sitting with her in the ambulance, watching paramedics mill around her stretcher.

"She has almost no body fat on her. It's like she's skin and bones!" one paramedic had said.

At the hospital, she was diagnosed with anorexia, and also had several bruises and scars around her ribs, as if she had been in fights. There were some unhealed cuts, and the white bandages she wore around her chest were stained with blood near the ribs as well.

Turns out Kaoru got into a lot of fights [as she told me later] against other gangs, but she never went against the rules of her _ryu_. _Kamiya Kasshin Ryu_ is known as "The Sword Which Protects"; one of the main rules is that you can't kill your opponent, since this sword style is based on _katsujin-ken_—"Swords that give Life."

But in her fights, she got herself hurt in the areas that she would never attack an opponent in.

I talked to Shishou that night when I got back home and told him Kaoru's situation. He talked to Social Services and gave them the name of a friend of his, a man everyone knew as Genzai-sensei. He was a middle-aged doctor with a heart of gold and two young granddaughters, Ayame and Suzume.

Social Services took Kaoru out of the care of the foster family she was in, and put her into Genzai-sensei's care. He was happy to take her in, and the girls became very attached to one another. Our circle of friends became close again. She and I became close again. Megumi and I helped Kaoru get her weight back up to what it should have been. Kaoru had finally begun to heal, body and soul. And unbeknownst to me, I'd started falling for her.

Two years later, after graduating from high school, Shishou and I left for California. Saying good-bye was especially hard for Kaoru and I. She'd come to see me as not only her best friend, but also her protector, her savior. And I had vowed to myself that I would always protect her, the way a best friend should. But I also trusted in her abilities to take care of herself. I was sure she would be fine. We promised to call, to email, to send pictures, videos, birthday and Christmas gifts.

And we each held up our side of the promise.

Now, almost seven years later, my friends, Kaoru and I were back together.

As all of us enjoyed the evening catching up with one another and stuffing our faces with junk food, I couldn't help but feel at peace.

_I was finally home…_

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**_Ice Angel Kaoru: Well, how was it? _**

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**_Kenshin: Sessha thinks it was very long. _**

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**_Sano: I was hardly in it! _**

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**_Megumi: Of course you were hardly in it. Roosters aren't important enough to be part of anything sometimes. _**

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**_Ice Angel Kaoru: Both of you stop it before you say something to really hurt each others feelings. _**

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**_Kaoru: Wow. I have a really hard life. _**

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**_Yahiko: When am I going to be in here? _**

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**_Ice Angel Kaoru: Er…I don't know yet, Yahiko. I guess we'll see. _**

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**_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I have been working on it for almost two weeks now. I wasn't able to just buckle down and write, because I was unsure about a few things, like how to take the story where I want. _**

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**_Oh yes! I am in India visiting my family right now, and it's possible that when this chapter is posted it's possible that I will be back in the U.S. or that I am still in India, depending on whether I get Internet access here at some point. So please don't kill me for my slow updating habits. _**

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**_That's all for now. _**

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**_Love ya'll! _**

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**_Click the button! _**

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**_--Ice Angel Kaoru [Signing Out: 07/06/04-2:30 AM PST] _**


	5. Chapter Five

**_Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony Entertainment Enterprises, and Shueisha Jump! Comics. All of the characters mentioned in this, previous, and future installments are used solely for entertainment purposes. _**

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**_Note: Possible OOCness ahead. This chapter told from Kenshin's POV _**

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_**Save Me From the Darkness **_

_**Chapter Five-Fateful Occurances**_

_**Written By: Ice Angel Kaoru**_

"I'm inviting you and Kamatari to have dinner with Enishi and me tonight."

It was a Friday morning, two weeks after I'd arrived back in Japan. My stuff was already unpacked, my furniture had arrived just as Shishou had said it would, and it was set up in my apartment. Kamatari had decided to paint the place, though, so most of the time everything was covered in white sheets. I was getting ready to head to work, and was half-dressed in a pair of dress pants and a button-down shirt, with my tie done loosely around my neck. I was having a breakfast of ramen and coffee [while I like cooking, I still tend to put the kitchen on fire occasionally, and I really didn't want to risk it on a kitchen so new], and talking to Kaoru at the same time.

I raised an eyebrow at her invitation. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, does Enishi know?"

"I'm planning to talk to him about it later. I'm sure he won't mind."

"I don't know, Kaoru… I mean, I don't want to impose, and it would be smart to check with Enishi whether or not he had something planned for the two of you tonight," I said.

"Okay, tell you what. I'll talk to him, and give you a call later. Is that okay?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"All right then. Talk to ya later. Ja."

"Ja ne."

We hung up,

Done with breakfast, I set to work washing the dishes, and cleaning up the kitchen. I couldn't help wondering what kind of guy Enishi might be. I could tell Kaoru was absolutely in love with this man. I knew of one Enishi—he was Tomoe's younger cousin—and had seen pictures of the man, but I had never met him in person. No one but our close friends had been invited to Tomoe and Akira's wedding, because Tomoe's family "has a hard time adjusting to change," as she described.

Half an hour after cleaning the kitchen, I was dressed and knocking on Kamatari's bedroom door.

"Hey Kamatari, do you need a ride to your boutique, or do you already have it covered?"

"Wait for me, please! I'm running late today, and desperately need a ride!"

"Fine," I said. "I'm in the living room."

Ten minutes later, Kamatari came out dressed and ready to go. I dropped him off, and told him that we might be going to Kaoru's for dinner that night, depending on what she told me later. He said it was okay with him.

I reached the office building, checked with my secretary for any phone calls or meetings [two phone calls and no meetings, thank Kami], and went into my office. The day passed pretty smoothly, and before I knew it, it was two o'clock. I decided to go for lunch, and then realized that Kaoru had not called me yet.

_Hmm… She hasn't called me yet. Maybe she lost my cell number? No, she's organized that way. I know, I'll go see her at the restaurant. That'll be easier for both of us—I can get lunch, and she can tell me if we're on for tonight. _

I decided to head over to Music Planet at the Tokyo Decks Beach. It's actually located pretty close to my apartment, and I didn't realize it until I was driving there.

I parked my car in the parking lot, and headed inside. I wasn't sure where I would find Kaoru right then, so I decided to approach a young woman who was manning the cash register.

"Konnichiwa! Welcome to Music Planet. How may I help you?"

-"Could you tell me where I can find Kamiya-san right now?"

"Hmm… She's probably upstairs in the restaurant right now."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," I said, and headed to the staircase near the back of the music area. I took the stairs up and stood at the entrance to the restaurant, scanning the smatterings of people here and there for a familiar raven ponytail. After looking for a few minutes, I found her.

"Kaoru!" I called out. She turned her head in my direction, but didn't see me. I called out her name again, and this time she saw me. Smiling, she waved and walked over.

"Hey! I was just going to call you in about half an hour! What are you doing here?"

"Well, it was time for lunch, and I figured that I would see you and get lunch at the same time."

"Ah, very smart, Himura-san," she said in a teasing voice.

"Oh be quiet. I'm not that great."

"Fine, fine. C'mon, I'll seat you."

I followed Kaoru to a seat by one of the many windows facing the bay. It was a sunny day, but the morning forecast predicted a heavy spring storm by the end of the following week. Taking my seat, I turned my gaze back to Kaoru. Smiling warmly, she sat down across from me and handed me a menu.

"What would you like?" she chirped. I noticed then that she seemed overly happy; her voice was very…er…_chirpy_, for lack of a better word.

"I'll have a glass of iced tea and a teriyaki chicken bowl. Something has you in a very good mood, Kaoru-dono," I said, reverting back to the nickname I gave her when we were in school.

"Mou! How do you know me so well?" she teased. "Don't answer that. Make sure your agenda is free for tonight around eight. I got Enishi to say 'yes'!"

"Great! Want me to bring over a cheesecake or some sort of dessert?"

"Iie. I'm getting everything from here. Now let me get your order for you, and then we'll talk some more."

Kaoru hurried away to take care of my order, and came back in about twenty minutes with a steaming bowl, a tall glass with what I assumed was iced tea, and a pair of hashi on a tray. She set the bowl and glass in front of me, and handed me the chopsticks.

We sat and talked while I ate, and then parted ways after I attempted to pay the bill. Of course, Kaoru is stubborn, and would not allow me to do so.

"Demo, Kaoru-dono--!"

"Iie, Kenshin. You will not pay for this meal. I don't care what you say!"

I sighed and gave in—on one condition.

"Okay, you can pay the bill for this meal since you want to so badly. But dessert for tonight is on me."

"Kenshin, that's really not necessary!"

"Take it or leave it." Go me for getting a degree in business. Negotiations, I am king!

She grimaced. "This is what I get for having an almost genius for a friend."

We laughed.

When we got ourselves under control, I couldn't help staring at her She looked beautiful, her eyes bright and happy, and her cheeks flushed from laughing. Her eyes locked with my own, and her face flushed a darker red. I vaguely felt my face leaning towards hers, and my eyelids fell closed. Ever so lightly, my lips brushed against hers.

And then I jerked back.

_What have I done? _

Kaoru looked at me, stunned.

"I-ano-I-gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono. I don't understand what happened just now, and I apologize. That was not right of me. I'll see you later."

I bolted, or at least tried to.

"Kenshin, matte!"

I turned back to face her.

"Please, Kenshin, don't blame yourself. What happened was an accident. Just forget that it ever happened. You see, everything is still just fine. So please, don't work yourself into a panic. It was an accident." She smiled at me reassuringly, though her face was still flushed from the kiss, and her movements were a bit shaky.

I smiled in relief, nodded and waved to her in good-bye. Calling over my shoulder that Kamatari and I would see her that evening, I left the restaurant.

The entire drive back to the office, however, I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. Something I realized as I thought about what happened, was that I liked it. I suppose that it could also have something to do with the fact that I had not been in a relationship for a few years now, and that I had been in love with Kaoru since we were in school.

Before I thought it was just a long term crush, like what Tomoe had been to me—a crush. True, I would dream about Kaoru. It was also true that every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. I, however, was still in denial that it was just a crush. But now, I knew for a fact that I had fallen in love. I had fallen hard.

No, I could not deny it anymore. It was not a crush, but full-blown love.

I was in love with my best friend.

_What the hell am I going to do? _

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At eight o'clock that evening, Kamatari and I stood at Kaoru and Enishi's front door, with a boxed New York-style strawberry cheesecake in my hands. Kamatari rang the doorbell, and I prepared myself for an interesting evening.

The front door swung open, and there stood Kaoru dressed in a pair of boot-cut black jeans, and a deep blue top with long, flowing sleeves that came down to her knees. Kami-sama, she looked gorgeous.

"Konbanwa, Kenshin, Kamatari. Please, come in," she said, and smiled at us warmly.

We stepped inside and removed our shoes. Kaoru took the cheesecake from me and hurried into the kitchen to put it in the fridge.

"Your place is really nice Kaoru-dono. Did you decorate it yourself?" I commented when she came back.

"Are you kidding? Me, decorate a place and make it look nice? No way. I got Misao and Megumi to give me a hand."

"That's really sad."

"What's sad? Me getting help or me not being able to decorate on my own?"

"Neither. We've all known each other since we were in school, and I never knew that Misao knows how to home decorate."

"Well, you learn something new everyday."

"Guess so."

"Kaoru-chan, where is Enishi, the person we've all heard so much about?" Kamatari asked. "By the way, your ensemble tonight is very nice. A mix of casual and formal."

"Thank you, Kamatari, although I don't think it's that amazing. Enishi said he was going to be a little late in coming. His boss wanted to see him about something."

By now, we were sitting in the living room. The couch, armchair, and loveseat were a pearly white, with cherry wood tables. Her living room was painted a pale blue, and the carpet was fluffy and comfortable under my feet.

"What does he do?" I asked.

"He writes computer software," she answered.

I nodded. "That sounds like fun."

"It is," a new voice said.

I turned my head to see who it was and stood up.

Shock-white hair and aquamarine eyes greeted me. He was tall [then again, most people are tall compared to me], lean and muscular.

I bowed and introduced myself. "Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa Himura Kenshin desu. Hajimemashite."

Kamatari bowed and introduced himself as well.

And then, the new man spoke. "Konnichiwa. Ore wa Yukishiro Enishi desu. Hajimemashite."

Right off the bat, something about this guy bugged me. Something just wasn't right about him. I didn't know what, but something was definitely off about him.

Letting the feeling go for now, I asked him something else that occurred to me. "Would you happen to know a Yukishiro Tomoe who lives in Los Angeles?"

If I was not mistaken, this was the guy I had seen in so many of Tomoe's family photos.

"Yes. She's my cousin. How do you know her?"

"She and her husband are my friends. We went to college together."

"I see. Wow. She got married? When? How is she? I've lost contact with her over the past ten years. She left Japan with her family for the States about ten years ago, and I haven't really heard from her since."

"She's doing really well. Tomoe landed a job as a therapist over there."

"That's good."

"Dinner's ready!" Kaoru called from the kitchen.

The kitchen was nice. It was simple, nothing fancy: wooden flooring and cabinets, marble counters [I think that was the only expensive thing in the kitchen], stainless steel stove, oven, oven and fridge. Her cabinets were painted white, the wallpaper had a floral print on it, and the microwave was adjacent to the fridge.

The dining table was round and made of a light colored wood to keep in accordance with the colors of the kitchen. Taking our seats at the table, the three of us [Kamatari, Enishi, and me] started gazing at what there was to eat. There were just a few dishes, and all of them looked absolutely delectable: sukiyaki, miso soup, and almond crusted prawns, and of course, rice. I felt my mouth watering at the sight of it all.

"Kaoru-dono, this looks really good."

"Hai, Kaoru-chan. The aroma is making my stomach growl even more!"

"Did you cook all of this Kaoru?"

I took a subtle glance at Enishi. He looked overly skeptical.

"Enishi, I'm not going to poison my friends with my cooking. That's why I brought some food home from the restaurant. Shura was happy to make it for me at my request," Kaoru explained.

"Oh." I took another small glance at my friend's fiancé. He looked slightly angry.

"Anyway, dig in! I brought this all home for us to eat anyway!"

"Hai!" Kamatari and I chorused together.

We started to fill our plates, when I noticed that Enishi wasn't making a move to fill his own plate.

"Enishi? Have you eaten already?" Kaoru asked. She hadn't filled her plate either, but that was normal. Kaoru was always very hospitable, and if she had invited people over for dinner, the guests always served themselves before her. It was in her nature.

"No. I'm waiting for our guests to finish serving themselves."

The feeling I brushed off before was back. His ki seemed really weird to me. What was so off about this guy that it kept coming back to prod at my instincts?

I decided that maybe I should talk about it to Kaoru, but when I looked at her I changed my mind. She was looking at Enishi and her eyes shone with a love so bright it lit up her face. She cared about this guy so much, it was obvious to anyone around her.

How could I interfere in something as personal as a romantic relationship between her and her lover? That wasn't right.

I would have to trust in her instincts this time. Maybe I was just overreacting and making a mountain out of a molehill. Especially after what happened this afternoon at the restaurant, I didn't need to endanger our own relationship with each other even more.

No, I wouldn't tell her what my instincts are telling me.

* * *

As the evening wore on, Enishi seemed to be withdrawing even more from the conversation, simply observing the interactions of the people around him with the eyes of a hawk.

I didn't like his gaze.

We did some interesting things that evening. After dinner and cleaning the kitchen we sat down in the living room for a few games of Jenga.

Jenga holds many memories. When our group was younger, and we used Tae's back room to keep us busy, we'd bust out the box of Jenga and pass hour after hour playing and teasing each other. It was great fun. The best thing about the game is that it keeps you awake.

So that evening, we played a few hours worth of Jenga. It was even more fun with Kamatari. Nimble-fingered as he is, it was funny to watch his face as he struggled to remove a piece from the building and then put it on top.

Through all the fun, however, Enishi didn't play. He simply watched, his aquamarine eyes focused on the interactions between the three of us.

Creepy isn't even the word to describe it. His smile was forced, and seemed more like a grimace. He seemed to be looking at us with distaste.

Several games of Jenga, a cup of coffee, and a slice of cheesecake later, it was time to call it a day.

Kamatari and I rose from our seats around the coffee table, and proceeded to shake Enishi's hand.

"It was nice meeting you, Enishi-san," I said, putting on my "rurouni" smile, as it came to be called in school by my friends.

"This evening has been absolutely lovely," Kamatari said, and shook Enishi's hand.

"It was nice meeting the both of you as well. Would you happen to have my cousin's phone number with you, Kenshin? I'd like to give her a call," he said.

"Sure. Ano…do you have a piece of paper and a pen?"

He nodded, and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen from a drawer in one of the side tables in the foyer. I took the items and quickly wrote Akira and Tomoe's home number down.

"Here you go," I said, and handed the notepad and pen back to him.

Kaoru came forward and gave Kamatari a quick hug. "Arigato for coming, Kamatari-chan."

"Iie. Arigato for inviting me. I really enjoyed myself."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said with a smile. Then she turned to me and smiled an even bigger smile.

"Arigato for coming, Kenshin," she said and gave me a big hug.

"Arigato gozaimasu for having me, Kaoru-dono. Perhaps next time, the entire group can be present."

"That sounds like a good idea. I guess we'll have to plan it soon, won't we?"

"Aa. Take care, Kaoru-dono. We'll be seeing you. Ja."

"Ja. Be careful driving home! It's pretty late!" she called from the doorway.

"Hai!" Kamatari and I called from near the car.

Before getting into the driver's seat, I turned to Kaoru and waved. She waved in return, and remained in the doorway. I sat down, buckled in, put the key in the ignition, and started the car. Turning to look at Kaoru, I gave one final wave and drove off. Taking a peak in the rearview mirror, I watched her quickly go inside and close the door.

I sighed, and leaned back in my seat, my hands carefully gripping the steering wheel.

Kamatari looked at me. "What's on your mind, Ken?"

:"A lot of things, Kama-chan."

"Would Enishi happen to be one of them?"

"Did you notice his behavior as well?"

Kamatari nodded.

"I can't help but feel that something just isn't right about that guy," I continued.

"He seemed to be angry about something."

"Angry? I thought it was more along the lines of 'I don't really like you, but I'll put up with you for now' when we were in the living room after dinner."

"Maybe it's both?" Kamatari asked.

"Maybe. But because of his behavior, I'm worried about Kaoru-dono," I confessed.

"Are you going to talk to her about it?"

"I want to, but I'm not so sure I should. First off, he's Kaoru's fiancé; it's obvious that she is in love with Enishi and she's made a commitment that she wants to marry him. Second, I'm sure he'll contact Tomoe soon, and Tomoe has told me several times that the two of them were very close; no doubt they still are. He's got a strong bond with two of my closest friends. If I interfere, I can jeopardize two relationships that are important to me. Plus, who am I to say 'I don't like this guy and I think you should stop associating with him'?"

"So you're going to trust Kaoru-chan on this one?"

I nodded. "She's smart. She knows what she's doing. I'll intervene when I feel I need to, but until then I'm just going to pray that nothing happens to her."

"I don't know. I think you should take the risk and talk to her."

I shook my head. "Not right now. We don't know anything yet. Let's wait and see. It's possible that we were both overreacting. We have no idea what he was thinking about in the first place."

"Okay, if you're sure," Kamatari said.

"I'm sure," I told him.

* * *

We reached the apartment building shortly after, and I parked the car in the parking lot. Kamatari and I got out and made our way inside the building. I went over to the reception desk and picked up the key to our apartment, and then proceeded to the elevator.

A few minutes later, we were on our floor and in our apartment. It was then I realized I'd forgotten the mail. Feeling like an idiot, I slapped my forehead in frustration.

"You forgot the mail again, didn't you?" Kamatari asked. I could tell he was trying not to laugh.

I nodded and sighed in defeat.

"Yay. I get to go downstairs again…for the third time this week…" I groaned. I turned around and headed toward the door to put on my shoes.

"Don't worry, I got it while you went to get the key," he said and let out a few chuckles.

"Why didn't you just tell me that you got the mail?" I asked him.

"Er…I wanted to see the look on your face when you realized you forgot…ha ha…" he said looking at me sheepishly.

"Did I look like the world had ended?"

He nodded, still chuckling slightly.

I started laughing. To me, this situation had turned funny, because it just was. To most people, it would seem really stupid to laugh at something like this, but I didn't care. Still laughing, I collapsed on the couch and proceeded to compose myself.

Kamatari and I turned in for the night shortly after.

Comfortably nestled between my futon and blankets, I continued to mull over the evening's events. My last thought as I drifted to sleep was of a certain blue-eyed best friend.

_

* * *

_

_Dear Diary,_

_...Before they left, I was under the impression that the evening had gone well. Even when they said good-bye, I didn't suspect anything to be wrong. It was after they left, that I realized his behavior had been odd._

_"Did you have fun tonight?" I asked him after they left. He just looked at me, and I saw anger in his eyes. I didn't understand why he would be mad._

_He turned his head away from me and slowly iterated the words, "I didn't like them."_

_"Why? They're good people and close friends of mine." I was deeply hurt by his comment._

_"I don't need to explain myself to you." He prepared to leave the room._

_"I wish you would be more open with me. I wish you would tell me what's on your mind. I miss the old you," I told him._

_He lashed out at me then. He turned around, grabbed me by the shoulders, and threw me against the wall. One of the framed pictures that hung there fell from the impact, and the corner of the frame nicked my temple. I was unable to move for a few minutes because the impact had knocked the wind out of me, As I struggled to regain my breath, he kicked me in the stomach twice—once with each foot. I slumped to the floor unconscious._

_When I awoke I was in my room, tucked in bed. He was sitting next to me in a chair, his head leaning back. He'd fallen asleep watching over me. I sat up with some discomfort in my abdominal region, reached over and took an extra blanket off the bed. I slipped the blanket around him, and he woke up._

_"I'm sorry," he said, and gave me a gentle kiss. I melted in his embrace._

_"It's all right," I said, and leaned into his chest._

_"I've been stressed at work," he said. "My has become more demanding of our performance, and I'm afraid he'll fire me if I don't do well with my team."_

_"Don't worry," I assured him. "Everything will work out. You'll see."_

_He left me then, but he was smiling. I hadn't seen him smile like that in a long time._

_I love him so much. It hurts me when he doesn't tell me what's going on inside that head of his. He may be brash at times, but I know there is a gentler side to his persona. I've seen it._

_I hope he shows his more gentle side more often, instead of his brash side. I hope he'll be able to let go of that side of himself all together._

_But unfortunately, right now I can only hope._

_Signed,_

_--K.K._

**_

* * *

_**

**_A/N: Woo-hoo! Chapter Five complete! Stay tuned for Chapter Six! _**

_**By the way, the thing with the mail was just for humor's sake and was also introducing one of Kenshin's habits. I don't know why, but I see him as the kind of person who would forget the mail...at least most of the time.**_

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**_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's the longest one I've written for this story. _**

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**_RR! _**

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**_Luv ya'll! _**

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**_--Ice Angel Kaoru [Signing out: 1:21 AM PST, July 12, 2004]_**

_**P.S.--If you're reading either Chapter Four or Chapter Five before the 28th of July, I've uploaded them in India. If after, then I am back in the U.S.**_


	6. Chapter Six

**_Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony Entertainment Enterprises, and Shueisha Jump! Comics. All of the characters in this, previous, and future installments of this story are being used only for non-profit entertainment purposes. All original characters and ideas are mine to claim._**

**_Note: Possible OOCness ahead. This chapter contains implied situations of abuse and rape. You have been prewarned._**

**_This chapter told from both Kenshin's and Kaoru's POVs._**

**_Save Me From the Darkness_**

**_Chapter Six: Seeking Salvation_**

**_Written by: Ice Angel Kaoru_**

**-Kenshin-**

It had been a month after the dinner that night at Kaoru's place. Busy work schedules put us out of touch with each other. I hadn't had a decent conversation with her since that night.

I stopped by the restaurant often for lunch and to hopefully get a glimpse of her. But a few weeks prior, one of her waitresses had given her resignation because she was moving to England with her parents, and so Kaoru was busy serving tables during the afternoon shift, which started at twelve and ended at five. She spent the time before that interviewing girls who were interested in filling the position. I rarely had a chance to talk to her because of it.

Enishi had receded to the back of my mind quite quickly, as I had no interaction with him. But from what I saw of Kaoru, things seemed okay. She was still the energetic Kaoru that I know.

I was going to learn soon, though, that her life was not really the bed of roses she made it out to be.

It was a drizzly Saturday morning, and I was trying to fall back to sleep in the cozy nest I call my futon. Unfortunately, my subconscious was no longer allowing me to enter so sacred a realm. Deciding I might as well get up, I tumbled out of my futon and onto the floor in a tangle of blankets and legs. Truth be told, I was still half asleep.

After brushing my teeth and getting dressed in a pair of old track pants and a gray UCLA sweatshirt, I decided that I would make breakfast. Kamatari was pattering around in his room by the time I was done cooking. It had been awhile since we had both had some good old American food, so I made chocolate chip pancakes with hash browns.

I'm not much of a cook [I could easily burn down the kitchen], but I have a few specialties. Chocolate chip pancakes with hash browns is one of them.

By the time Kamatari had stumbled into the kitchen, I had both our plates of pancakes on the table.

"Mmm... Kenshin, I dub thee the Pancake God," Kamatari said after taking a bite of breakfast.

"I'm glad you like them, Kamatari, though I'm sure IHOP does a much better job."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

We continued to talk, discussing our plans for the day, and what we wanted to do for dinner. Kamatari had decided that he would go to the boutique for a few hours, then come home. I was going to be at home all day, doing some paperwork I had brought home, and then being a couch potato for the rest of the day. Dinner was most likely going to be pizza.

By one o'clock, my paperwork was finished and I was enjoying a book on the couch, a half eaten sandwich and a half empty glass of juice sitting on the coffee table. Kamatari was still at the apartment, he was going to leave later. It was raining outside, and the world was wet and gray. The drizzle from the morning had picked up into a comfortable patter, making my apartment even more cozy.

As I was turning a page of my book [_The Secret Garden_], the phone on the side table next to the couch where I was sitting started to ring. I hit the "speaker phone" button, and immediately I heard several voices talking.

"Moshi moshi. Himura Kenshin desu."

"Kenshin! How's Japan?"

"Akira! Hey, it's nice hearing from you! Japan is nice, but it's raining today. The reports say it'll probably be a heavy storm by nightfall. How's LA?"

"LA is great. The weather is warming up here; y'know, turning into perfect beach weather."

"That's good. Where are you?"

"All of us are at our place. I have good news for you. Would you like to take a guess?"

"Sure, but let me call Kamatari out here to help me."

"All right."

I got up from the couch and hurried to Kamatari's room. Knocking briskly on the door, I called to him.

"Kamatari! Akira and everyone are calling from LA!"

"Coming!" was the muffled reply.

I returned to the living room and resumed the conversations with Akira.

"So are you ready to guess?" he asked.

"You got a promotion?"

"No."

"Tomoe's expecting?"

"As much as I'd love for it to be that, it's not."

"Ano...you finally got back at Makoto and Yumi for all the pranks they've played?"

"Are you kidding? No! Not even close!"

"Then what is it?!"

"We're coming to visit you guys!"

"_**NANI?!**_"

"They're coming to visit us, Kenshin. Calm down," Kamatari said.

"When are you guys coming? And when you say 'we', who's included?"

"Next week. And 'we' includes all of us."

"What's the occasion?"

"Just because."

What was I supposed to say?

"WOO-HOO!"

There, I said it.

We talked for a while longer, and then said good-bye.

"I can't wait for them to get here. I can finally introduce them to all of the friends I've talked to them about," I said.

"We do have a problem, though. Where are they going to sleep. We only have two extra rooms, and Akira and Tomoe need one to themselves, considering that they are married. My room is also my studio for my designs, so that's off limits. The two of us share a bathroom. We have two more bathrooms, though, so the guys could share one, and the girls could do the same," Kamatari pointed.

"Well, we could fit everyone else into the living room, maybe. We'll just have to borrow a few sleeping bags from Kaoru and the others," I said.

"Eh, we'll think about it later. Right now, I'm heading to the boutique."

"Finally going to give your wheels a spin?"

"Yup."

Kamatari had finally gotten a car for himself--a comfortable 2004 Honda Civic, in a nice pearly white.

"Be careful driving, then. The roads are wet."

"You got it."

Kamatari left, and I had the place to myself. It was too quiet for my taste [silence is good, but sound is always better], so I decided to put on some music. One of my various burned CDs played Sakamoto Maaya's "Sanctuary". I repeated the song a few times, and by the fifth time, I was snoozing away on the couch.

Weekends are great.

I was awoken late in the evening, around eight o'clock, by the jingle of keys at the door. Getting up, I stretched and worked out the kinks from lying on the couch. Sighing in contentment, I went to the kitchen to make some tea. Since mint tea is my favorite, I decided to make a good kettle-full.

"The weather definitely turned for the worst. I doubt anyone would be caught dead out there," Kamatari said as he helped himself to the tea.

Looking out the window, I noticed it had started to thunder and bolts of lightning streaked across the sky, lighting up the world like the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

"Listen, I'm going to go get the mail really quick, okay?" Kamatari said.

"All right. I'll see you in a bit."

He walked out the door, and I went back to the living room. Switching on the TV, I channel-surfed until I saw an episode of Inuyasha running. Inuyasha had just turned human inside the demon's belly when my cell phone started ringing. I looked at the caller ID and noticed that it was Kamatari.

_Why is he calling my cell phone? He's just downstairs in the lobby._

I humored him anyway and answered.

"Moshi moshi. Kamatari, why are you--"

"Forget the questions and come downstairs! There's something you need to see!"

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you on the phone! You have to come downstairs! It's urgent!"

Kamatari was frantic; it was obvious from his voice.

"Okay. I'm coming."

When I got downstairs, I met Kamatari by the elevator.

"Kamatari, what's going on?"

"Just follow me. You'll see in a minute."

We hurried outside onto the front steps of the building. See, the mailboxes are located next to the lobby doors on the inside, which gives whoever is at the mailboxes a perfect view of the front steps of the building. As we approached the doors, I could vaguely make out a body lyring on the front steps.

Leaving Kamatari behind, I hurried over to the body. It was a girl, a very familiar girl. She was lying on her side, diagonally across a few steps. Her long black hair was pooled around her form and covered her face. From what I could see, she was wearing a long jacket that went down to her ankles and tied in the front with a belt. I felt her hands; she had been soaked through to the bone. Watery red pools dripped off of her skin in various areas, and her coat had a dark stain in the lower region of her body.

I could only guess what had happened to this poor young woman.

Wanting to get a closer look at her face, I moved the long, inky strands away. When I saw her face, I gasped and my eyes widened.

An ugly black and blue bruise marred the pale skin surrounding her left eye and cheek, dried blood crusted a cut on her right temple, and her right cheek was red and swollen with a final cut also crusted with dried blood near her lips.

_Oh Kami-sama... How could this have happened?_

Shaking out of my stupor after recognizing her, I began to gently shake her shoulder while simultaneously calling her name.

"Kaoru! Wake up, Kaoru! Please, wake up!"

Her eyes opened ever so slightly, and she looked at me. Kaoru's eyes filled with tears when she saw me, her blue eyes glazed over with pain and sorrow.

I picked her up, brought her inside the building, and got Kamatari to help me take her up to the apartment. She had already fallen back into unconsciousness by then.

The rain was coming down in sheets, the lightning and thunder made loud noises, thus causing the once content atmosphere to be filled with tension and anxiety.

Kamatari helped me to settle her onto a futon in one of the guest rooms. Kamatari checked her temperature with a thermometer.

"She's running a fever, Kenshin."

I left the room and quickly made my way over to the phone in the living room. I punched in a few digits and waited for someone to answer.

"Moshi moshi. Takani Megumi desu."

"Megumi! Please hurry over here! It's an emergency!"

"Ken-san? What's going on? What happened?"

"It's not me, Megumi. It's Kaoru!"

"What happened to Tanuki-chan?"

"I'm not sure, Megumi. Though I have a hunch, I wouldn't say it on the phone. Please, just come over and take a look."

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as possible. I would ask you to bring her to the hospital, but I don't think Kaoru would have gone for it anyway. Now calm down and wait. I'm on my way over."

"Arigatou, Megumi."

We hung up, and I rushed back to Kaoru's room. "How is she doing?"

"She's running a fever, and yet she's freezing cold. I think she got soaked to the bone out there in the rain."

"How long do you think she's been out there?"

"Well, first off, I didn't see her car around, so she either took the bus, which is unlikely, or she walked here, considering she lives pretty close by. Her feet are totally rubbed raw, and she wasn't wearing shoes, if you might have noticed."

"I didn't notice that. Not until you just pointed it out, actually," I admitted. I stared at her blanketed form, her eyes closed to the world, her long hair pooled around her head like a halo, and her breathing shallow. Streaks of mud matted her hair, and finger-shaped bruises coated her pale neck as if someone had tried to choke her or keep her from screaming.

I continued to watch her for the next few minutes, never even realizing when Kamatari left the room to let Megumi in.

A knock on the bedroom door, followed by the muffled padding of feet alerted me to someone's entering the room. Looking up, I saw Megumi with her doctor's bag and what looked like a pouch full of a clear liquid.

She noticed how my gaze lingered questioningly on the plastic pouch, then said, "I wasn't sure if I would need it or not, but I brought the stuff I would need to assemble a makeshift IV."

I nodded. "Do you need me to leave?"

She nodded, then asked, "Do you want to stay?"

I looked at her, then back at Kaoru. It's true that I did want to stay, but would I be strong enough to face what was most likely going to be an ugly slap in the face by reality?

Probably not, but then I would face even my darkest fears to know that my loved ones were safe.

I looked back at Megumi and nodded. "Yes," I said. "I want to stay."

"All right. Let me take a look."

And so the examination began. I turned my face away several times to give some semblance of privacy to Megumi and Kaoru and because I'm decent that way. It would not have been right to have seen...ano..._certain parts_ of the female anatomy.

"She has so many lacerations, it's scary. The majority of her body is black and blue, with cuts and what look like whip marks from a belt buckle or something of the sort. Along with all of these injuries, there's proof that she's been raped."

I looked at Megumi, half-shocked, half-saddened. Shocked because I didn't want to believe my hunch, saddened because deep down I knew the truth.

"If you'd like, I'll stay over tonight to help take care of her," Megumi offered.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," I said solemnly.

"Okay. First things first, let's get her cleaned up. Do you have a tub or shower?"

"Ano, this room has a tub."

"Good. I'll take care of getting her washed of all the grime. If you can find some old clothes that might fit her, we can get her into something dry."

"One of my neighbors might be able to give us a hand with that. I'll go ask after we get her situated for a bath."

"Okay."

We headed to the bathroom with me carrying Kaoru with me making sure to look straight ahead or only at her face. Megumi switched on the lights and headed over to the tub. I set her down inside, and ran to get some towels to role up and use as a support for her neck. After that was done, I headed out of the apartment and went down the hall to apartment 623.

I knocked briskly on the door, and waited for an answer.

"Coming!" came a muffled cry.

The door opened to reveal a young woman around around my age, with black hair tied up in a bun and brown eyes half-open.

"Gomen nasai for disturbing you so late, Toki-san, but I needed to ask you a favor."

"No, it's no trouble. I fell asleep on the couch anyway, so it's good that you woke me up. What can I do for you?"

"Ano...a friend of mine had an accident today and is staying at me place. I was wondering if I could borrow some old clothes for her to wear? She's about your size."

"Sure, no problem. Come with me."

I followed her inside and waited in the living room while she went to get the clothes. She came back carrying two pairs of sweat pants and two sweatshirts.

"This should help," she said.

I thanked her and hurried back to my own apartment. Kamatari let me in, and I went to the guest room that Kaoru was occupying. Knocking a few times, I called to Megumi to ask if she was done. She replied with a yes, and I went inside.

Kaoru was bundled in a green bathrobe, compliments of Kamatari, and lying on the futon. I handed one of the pairs of sweatpants and one of the sweatshirts to Megumi and turned around so that she could change Kaoru. When she was done, I turned around again, and helped Megumi to set up the makeshift IV pole. With some quick thinking and Kamatari's help, we turned the coat rack that stood by the front door into an IV line. Megumi stuck the needle into Kaoru's arm with deft fingers, and sat back with a sigh.

"I've bandaged all of her wounds and cleaned the areas that needed cleaning," she started.

"How long do you think she's going to stay unconscious?" I asked her, quietly taking a seat by Kaoru's futon.

"I don't know, Kenshin. I can assure you, however, that when she wakes up she'll be extremely weak. She's been 'forced against her will', so to speak, on top of which she has many lacerations and she's sick. I don't see her really moving about again for about a week and a half, maybe less if she wakes up soon," Megumi explained.

I nodded and looked at Kaoru. Her face had been cleaned of the blood and looked much better, even though it was marred by a large bruise and cuts; the blanket was pulled up to her collar, giving a clear view of her slim, bruised white neck. Kaoru's ebony hair was soft and shiny in the lights from the room and the moonlight pouring in from the window; while before it had been a mess, it was now comfortably braided and lay on the futon near and around her head. She did not smile in sleep, but she didn't frown either; her face was calm and emotionless, and at that moment, I saw a more fragile, quiet beauty that I had never seen before. Her image reminded me of the Kaoru who'd gone to the hospital after fainting at school one day because she'd stopped eating.

My heart hurt when the realization hit me that I had not kept my vow to protect her.

_How could I have let this happen? Why did it have to happen to her? Of all people, she deserved it the least. _

_No..._

_She didn't deserve this at all._

_Why has this happened? Why wasn't I there to protect her? Why wasn't I able to see that she was in trouble?_

_Why? Why does she always suffer? Why is she always hurt? Why am I always too late to do anything?_

But besides all of these questions, there was something more important that kept spinning around my head.

_Why didn't she tell me she needed help?_

_If I knew, could I have prevented this?_

_Yes._

_Maybe she was too scared to tell me. Maybe she was afraid that I wouldn't give a damn. _

_Or maybe..._

_Maybe she didn't want help. Maybe she wanted it, but didn't know how to ask. _

_Or even..._

_**Maybe she didn't know she needed help.**_

I never even realized when I fell asleep curled up against the wall.

**-----**

**-Kaoru-**

_So much pain... It hurts..._

My eyes opened slowly to a room with sunlight filtering in from the curtains covering the window. I slowly turned my head to the side, looking around.

_Ken...shin...?_

There Kenshin was, leaning against the wall to the right of the futon I was lying in. I weakly lifted my right arm to see myself wearing a sweatshirt that wasn't mine.

_Who changed me?_

I heard Kenshin yawn and stretch. Turning my head slowly, I watched him rub the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes. Finally awake, he looked at me. A soft smile lit his face as he looked at me.

"Ohayou, Kaoru-dono. How do you feel?"

I tried to smile in return, but my face hurt. In fact, my entire body hurt from my head, to my back, to my stomach--all the way to the area between my legs.

Just thinking about the pain caused me to remember the incident that caused my injuries.

_Oh Kami-sama..._

_How could you do this to me?_

_Why Enishi...? _

_Why have you broken me...?_

I turned my head away when I realized I started crying. Using my right hand as a support, I slowly and painfully sat up in the futon.

"I-I feel ill," I choked through my tears and quickly put my hand to my mouth, trying to keep down the mixture of noxious substances that was causing me discomfort.

"Hold on Kaoru-dono! Don't let it out yet!" Kenshin said and then hurried into what I perceived to be the bathroom. He came out half a minute later with a bucket.

"Here you go. Go ahead; it's okay," he said.

I didn't have to be told twice. Leaning over the bucket, I gave in and let out what my stomach couldn't handle. Kenshin was kind enough to keep my hair out of my face through it all.

_Ugh... I hate being sick._

Once I was done, he took the bucket away and returned with a bowl of water, a washcloth, a small empty bowl, and a bottle of mouthwash. After setting down the stuff he brought with him, Kenshin put his hand to my forehead. His hand felt cold to me and sent shivers down my spine.

"Your fever is still pretty high. Don't worry, though. 'The cool cloth treatment' might help bring it down. But you might want to wash your mouth out with this first. Here," he said, and poured some of the mouthwash into the cap of the mouthwash bottle.

Up until then, I'd been using my right arm as a support to keep myself sitting up. Unfortunately, my arm gave out and I pitched sideways. Before I could hit the floor, however, Kenshin caught me with his free hand. I looked at him silently.

He just smiled. "Gotcha."

Still helping me to sit up, he brought the mouthwash to my lips. I took some of the green colored liquid into my mouth, and immediately my mouth tasted like mint. A few seconds later, he brought the empty bowl to my mouth and I spit out the mouthwash. My mouth felt quite a bit better; it felt clean.

After setting down the bowl with his right hand, he lay me down on the futon again so that he could move the bowl of water and the washcloth closer towards himself. Once that was done, he helped me to sit up again with his left hand and used his other hand to dip the washcloth into the bowl of water and squeeze out the excess. Gently, Kenshin cleaned my face, neck, and hands with the washcloth. He was careful with my left hand and I noticed a needle connected to transparent liquid-filled tube leading up to clear plastic pouch hanging on the coat rack that originally stood next to Kenshin's front door.

_Kenshin's no doctor. Who helped me?_

"Megumi was kind enough to come by and help fix you up a little bit. She set up the IV," Kenshin explained, answering my unasked question.

He lay me back down on the futon, then continued to wipe my face and neck. A few minutes later, he checked my forehead again.

"Ah, see? It worked. Your fever went down a few degrees. In the time you've been sleeping, your temperature's been fluctuating between high and slight fevers," he said.

"How long have I been asleep, Kenshin?" I asked softly, my throat a little sore from being sick earlier, and the bruises that were there previously.

"You've slept for four days now."

"Oh."

"You know... When I saw you that night, I was scared," he admitted, turning his head to face the window while his hands lay curled around the washcloth in his lap.

_Oh Kenshin..._

"I couldn't help wondering what kind of monster would do something so horrible to someone so great, but I was also angry at myself because I wasn't there to protect you," he said, his voice cracking slightly.

There was a moment of silence between us.

"It isn't right for you to blame yourself every time I get hurt," I said softly.

He looked at me abruptly, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Especially this time," I continued. "You had no idea. And me... I was just stupid to keep hoping he'd get better. But the truth is...I...I really loved him..."

I sat up again, and leaned forward on both arms while painfully tucking my legs under myself. My eyes burned and blurred as tears poured down my face and my shoulders shook with sobs.

"I feel...like I've been soiled...because of...what he did to me..." I choked out.

I felt Kenshin wrap his arms around my waist and I collapsed into his embrace.

"Why did he hurt me like this, Kenshin?" I asked, still crying.

He remained silent, and simply held me.

"Why did he break me this way? Why? Why did he propose to me, if this was going to be the outcome? Did I do something wrong? Did I anger him so much that he went this far?"

"I wish I had an answer to all of your questions, Kaoru-dono, but I honestly don't," Kenshin finally answered. "But you can't blame yourself for his actions towards you. They were wrong, and it is solely his fault."

Still in tears, I looked at Kenshin. He looked at me with sad violet eyes, and he looked like he wanted to cry as well. I looked down again and leaned my head against his chest.

"He said that one of the reasons he loved me was because I was strong. But how can I be strong, if I'm so broken? How did he change into someone like what he is now? What happened to the guy I fell in love with? Why did he turn on me? Why did he break me like this? _Why did he shatter my heart this way?_"

Again Kenshin said nothing as I continued to weep. He simply held me tighter, and I clung to him as if holding on for dear life. I continued to cry for quite a while longer, half in pain of what was done to me, and half in sorrow of the love I'd lost.

In the early hours of that Wednesday morning, I fell asleep to the feeling of tears coursing down my cheeks and the sound of a soft heartbeat against my ear.

As I drifted into the realm of the subconscious, I remember Kenshin's soft tenor whispering to me: _"After this ordeal, you won't have to deal with him or his torture anymore, I promise."_

I don't know when or how the engagement ring I'd been wearing up until then fell from my limp hand.

**-----**

_Wake me up inside,_

_Wake me up inside,_

_Call my name and save me from the dark._

_Bid my blood to run,_

_Before I come undone,_

_Save me from the nothing I've become._

_Bring me to life..._

_**-----**_

**_A/N _**

**_Ice: Well! How was that for dark angsty drama?_**

**_Kaoru: I need sugar! SUGAR!!! ::finds a box of chocolate Pocky:: YAY! ::jumps up and down:: ::falls::_**

**_Kenshin: Orooooo! ::passes out::_**

**_Kamatari: YAY! I GOT TO HELP BE A HERO! ::jumps up and down::_**

**_Megumi: ::self-satisfied smirk:: I'm such a good doctor!_**

**_Sano/Yahiko: You keep leaving us out!_**

**_Enishi: ::wearing a frilly pink dress:: I'M SO PRETTY!_**

**_Everyone: ::looks at Enishi:: Uhh...Riiiiigghht... ::thinking-"The guy's a crazy nut. Why isn't he in an asylum?"::_**

**_Ice: Oookay..._**

**_Anyway, this chapter is probably going to be updated here in India as well. Hope you liked it. I'm also hoping that the quote from Evanescence works at the end here. Tell me what you think about that._**

**_I've discovered a really cool channel here called Animax-Anime 24/7! It's great...sorta. _**

**_They ruined the dubbing for RuroKen! _**

**_They got Richard Hayworth to do Kenshin's voice again, which is good [I'm pretty sure Megumi's voice actress is the same as the one in the US dub as well, just like Mr. Hayworth. I like the US dub; it's really well done compared to other things I've seen.], but that's about the only upside; all the other voice actors are different and horrible. Besides bad voice actors, they've named the characters and the series incorrectly. It's so bad; they call Kaoru 'Kori' and 'Hitokiri Battousai' is 'Battousai the Slasher', not 'Battousai the Manslayer' as it should be! And when the names are correct, they mispronounce them! Even Viz knows the word 'Hitokiri' is translated to 'Manslayer'; they have it right in their manga productions! And the series isn't called 'Rurouni Kenshin'; they're calling it 'Samurai X'! You'd think these people could learn to differentiate between the OVA and series names._**

**_So why do I watch it if it's dubbed so horribly?_**

**_Because I can't get enough of my little redhead, that's why._**

**_Yes, I am pathetic._**

**_Another thing that's bad is getting sick overseas. For the past three to four days, I'm had a high fever and stomach problems. Luckily, I've gotten a lot better and I'm moving around again. _**

**_But really, being sick is just plain BAD._**

**_Okay, I'm done ranting._**

**_Review and have a VERY happy Ice Angel Kaoru!_**

**_Oyasuminasai! I'm off to get a rest._**

**_--Ice Angel Kaoru [Signing out: 6:11 PM PST, 07/23/04]_**

**_PS: I calculated the time difference between LA and Tokyo using the time zones on my Laptop. It's a difference of sixteen hours. Long, ne?_**


	7. Chapter Seven

**_Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony Entertainment Enterprises, and Shueisha Jump! Comics. All characters mentioned in this, future, and previous installments are being used for non-profit entertainment purposes. Any and all original characters and ideas are mine to claim._**

**_  
  
Note: Possible OOCness ahead. Mild references to abuse and rape. This chapter told in Kenshin's POV._**

_**  
  
-Save Me From the Darkness-** _

_**Chapter Seven – Healing the Wounds  
  
**_

After making sure Kaoru was comfortable and sleeping again, I left the room to clean up a bit, and give Megumi a call.  
  
"Moshi moshi. Takani Megumi desu," she answered her cell phone.  
  
"Ohayou, Megumi."  
  
"Oh, Kenshin! How is Kaoru? Has she woken up?"  
  
"Hai. She woke up this morning, actually. I had a question about the IV. How long do you want me to keep it in?"  
  
"I think you can take it out now, considering she's conscious again. Is she awake right now?"  
  
"Iie. She's sleeping. Ano... she had a fever when she woke up, and it's gone down a few degrees, but it's still there. Is there any medicine you want her to take?"  
  
"Hmm... Tylenol should help with the fever. Was she in any pain when she woke up?"  
  
"I didn't ask, but I could see it. Truthfully, she cried herself to sleep just now."  
  
There was a sigh on her line. "Poor little tanuki-chan... No one like her should have to deal with something like this... Okay, I'll give you a prescription for a painkiller. It'll probably allow her to move around sooner as well. Feed her liquids; if she's up to it, give her a light meal. Something like rice and soup, maybe..."  
  
We talked for a few more minutes, and Megumi gave me a few tips and ideas to make her more comfortable. She reminded me to change her bandages [or she would come by to do it, if I was uncomfortable with the idea], and gave me the name of the painkiller so that I could go and pick it up from the pharmacy.  
  
Once I hung up, I headed into the kitchen to make Kaoru some hot soup [Egg Drop Chicken Corn soup, her favorite] with some toast and a cup of jasmine tea [another favorite]. As I cooked, I noticed a note on the fridge from Kamatari.  
_**  
Dear Kenshin,**_

_**I hope Kaoru-chan is doing better. I checked in on the both of you early this morning, but you were both asleep [I was up at around six]. I've left early for a meeting [they asked if I'd mind meeting over coffee and pastries; if I land this deal, my boutique is going to take off like crazy!], but I should be back by about six tonight. Have fun, be careful, and call Sano and Soujirou back [I told them we were going to need some extra futons and sleeping bags, and they want to know when we'll need them]. **_

_**Luv ya, hun! **_

_**--Kamatari  
  
**_

I cringed at the second-to-last line of the letter, and then tried to remember why we needed extra sleeping bags and futons.  
  
I'd actually been so out of it since Saturday, I completely forgot. So when I remembered the reason, I just about screamed and fell over.  
  
Once I'd regained my composure, I went back to the stove where the soup was cooking, and grabbed the cordless phone in the process. I dialed Sano's number while stirring the contents of the pot [I'd made a lot since this was going to be my lunch as well].  
  
"Moshi moshi? Who the fuck is this?" came a groggy, half-awake voice over the phone.  
  
"Ohayou, Sano. Were you out drinking and gambling again?"  
  
"Kenshin-baka, don't preach to me. Do you have any fucking idea what time it is?"  
  
"Hai, I actually do. It's eight a.m., and I am waking you up to return your call."  
  
"What call?"  
  
"The call that said you wanted to talk to me about extra sleeping bags and futons."  
  
"Oh, yeah. I have two futons in my closet. You want 'em?"  
  
"Do you need them some time soon?"  
  
"Iie."  
  
"Then yes, I would like to borrow them for a few weeks."  
  
"Okay. When do you need them?"  
  
"Tomorrow night."  
  
"I'll drop 'em by. Now hang up so I can go back to sleep."  
  
"Hai. Sayonara."  
  
"Whatever." He hung up.  
  
I laughed a bit, and hung up as well.  
  
I called Soujirou, discussed the same topic with him [he would bring by three sleeping bags and two futons the next day as well] and finished cooking the food on the stove. Putting it in the oven to keep warm, I went to check on Kaoru to see how she was doing. Entering the room quietly, I walked to my place by the wall and sat down again, never realizing when I fell into a light sleep again.  
  
I suppose the past few days took a toll on me.  
  
My sleep was disrupted abruptly by frantic and jerky movement, mixed with mumbled whispers  
of "No", "Please stop", "Don't touch me," and the name "Enishi". I watched in anxious worry as Kaoru's face contorted in fear and pain, her closed eyes scrunched together. Her body writhed in fright and her head moved side to side jerkily as she dreamed her nightmare. Unable to see what was in her subconscious, I could only imagine what she envisioned in her mind's eye. Suddenly, she screamed in fright and pain, and I came out of my stupor as I tried to wake her up and calm her frantic nerves.  
  
She was in tears as she came to, and she didn't recognize me immediately. It took a few minutes for me to get through to her. For the second time that day, I gladly gave her my shoulder to cry on as I held her close and whispered little phrases of "It's okay", "He can't hurt you anymore", "It was a dream", and oddly enough, "I'm here now". Once she'd finished crying, I asked her if she wanted to eat something. Nodding with a few sniffles, she agreed to being hungry.  
I told her I'd come back with something to eat, and she continued to sit in her futon. Unfortunately, Kaoru wasn't going to really be able to move around much for the next few days. It took a lot of her strength to just sit there, and so she tended to hunch forward slightly because of it.  
  
We ate lunch together [I ended up feeding her because she was physically weak at the time], and I told her that my friends from the States were coming to visit me tomorrow night. Kaoru mustered up a small smile and said that she would like to meet them when they came. As we talked, an idea came to me that might help Kaoru heal; I was going to have to talk to Tomoe first to see if she would agree to what I had thought up.

* * *

Kamatari and I decided that he would go to the airport to pick everyone up. He rented a minivan for the occasion, since they wouldn't all fit in Kamatari's Honda. Megumi had come by earlier that Thursday to give Kaoru a check-up, change her bandages, and change her clothes after giving her a bath. I gave them the room they would need and stayed mostly in the living room and kitchen area, just cleaning up the place [even though everything was pretty tidy] in preparation for the storm that would hit my apartment that night in the form of my friends.  
  
Once Megumi finished up with Kaoru, she came out of the room while closing the door behind her. I was busy mopping the kitchen floor when she came in and took a seat at the table.  
  
"How is she?" I asked.  
  
"I think she's going to need therapy. She needs to talk about what happened exactly so she can  
let it all out. Maybe it'll help her heal faster."  
  
"Well..." I hesitated.  
  
"What did you have in mind? You obviously have an idea."  
  
"Well, my friend Tomoe is coming to Japan today with some of my other friends from LA, and  
she's a therapist. I think she's dealt with similar cases, so I was thinking that maybe Tomoe could work with Kaoru, and I thought we could get her into some of her old hobbies..."  
  
"Which old hobby?"  
  
"Ano... Do you remember the sixth grade talent show she took part in? She won first place for her routine."  
  
"Hai! I remember that talent show. It was one of the last school-related functions that her father attended before he died."  
  
"Do you remember what her routine was?"  
  
"Hai...she was twirling flaming batons while performing acrobatics and dancing."  
  
"What do you think of her getting back into it?"  
  
"I think it might do her some good. I remember how happy she was when she performed up there."  
  
"That's what I was thinking. I need to ask Tomoe about it first, though, to see what she thinks and whether or not it's okay for her to do something like that."  
  
Megumi agreed that it would be smart to ask her first, and left after having a cup of tea with me. After washing the cups, I put them away, and went to see how Kaoru was doing. I knocked at the door and waited for an answer.  
  
"Hai?" she asked softly.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, I need to go out and take care of some things, but I should be back in about an hour. Will you be okay here on your own?"  
  
"I guess so..."  
  
"If you'd like, I can bring in my boom box so that you can listen to the radio."  
  
"Hai, I'd like that."  
  
"Okay. Give me a minute."  
  
I went to my room and got my sleek electric blue Psye CD player/AM-FM radio. After wrapping the cord around the apparatus so that I wouldn't trip over it, I went back to Kaoru's room and knocked again.  
  
"Come in," she said softly.  
  
"Here we go," I said after opening the door and plugging in the CD player/radio near her futon so that she would be able to reach it. After explaining the controls to her and saying good-bye, I headed out to the streets to go pick up Kaoru's prescription and find her a gift.  
It's always nice to get a gift when you're sick or sad. At least, that's what I think.  
As I walked down the streets, I thought about what I could get her.  
  
_Flowers?...No, too cliché. Music?...No, she owns a music store. Hmm...  
_  
I was still confused after I'd picked up the medicine from the pharmacy two blocks away from the apartment. Continuing to look around at the different shops that lined the street, I stopped when something caught my eye.  
  
It was beautiful, and differently painted from others that I had seen. Memories of our childhood when Kamiya-san was still alive came to mind, and I knew she would like it. I went into the store and asked the cashier how much it was.  
  
"15,456 yen," he replied.  
  
"Does it come with a carrying case?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
I thought it over. The price seemed about right if converted to USD. Deciding to get what I'd found, I nodded to the cashier, forked over my credit card, and paid for the gift. Leaving with my purchase, I made one last stop at one of Kaoru's favorite stores.  
  
I found what I was looking for—a royal blue, satin hair ribbon with jasmine flowers for the border—bought it, and left. Heading home with my purchases, I wondered what Kaoru was doing while I was out.  
_  
Did she fall asleep listening to the radio? Is she singing along with the music? Maybe she's daydreaming. Maybe she's just listening to the music. She might just be lost in thought..._  
  
Letting myself into the apartment, the sound of "Noumu--Dense Fog" from one of the Silent Mobius movies [I'm pretty sure it's the first one...] playing on the radio.  
_  
It must be Total Request Hour._  
  
I put down the medicine on the kitchen counter, and went with the gifts to Kaoru's room.  
  
Knocking softly on the door, I opened it when I got no answer. Going inside and looking at her, I couldn't help but smile.  
_  
So she fell asleep listening to the radio after all...  
  
_

I put her gifts down in a corner, and walked over to her futon. She seemed more comfortable; Megumi had removed the IV, and had redressed Kaoru in something more traditional [after all, she is a dojo master; it just seems more fitting for her to be traditionally dressed]—a light blue sleeping yukata. There was a dark blue haori hanging off of the now empty coat rack. Her hair was braided again, and lay coiled next to her head on the futon.  
  
I was glad to see that her bruise was about healed, as were the other injuries on her face. She still had reminders of the bruises on her neck, however, and I knew for a fact that she still had many other bandages on her body. Deciding to let her rest some more, I left the room.  
At six o'clock, Kamatari called me and said that he was leaving the boutique so that he could go pick everyone up, and that he would be at the apartment as soon as possible.  
  
"What are we going to do for dinner?" I mused aloud over the phone.  
  
"I dunno. Why don't you make some of your specialties?"  
  
"No, too complicated, and it would take a while."  
  
"I'll pick something up then."  
  
"Music Planet does take out, and so does the Akabeko. Pick one of them."  
  
"Hmm... I'll go with Music Planet. That way, we'll get in a little sightseeing for the newbies in on  
the way home."  
  
I chuckled—Kamatari meant Chou and Anji when he mentioned the word 'newbies'; the two had never been to Japan before. "Okay. That's fine with me."  
  
We hung up; Sano and Soujirou shortly after to drop off the extra futons and sleeping bags, along with flowers, cards and little gifts [like boxes of chocolate].  
  
They noticed my questioning glance at the gifts and Sano explained.  
  
"I talked to Megumi yesterday, and she told me what happened to jou-chan. We told the others, and we decided to get her a few 'Get Well Soon' presents. Everyone had something to give, and they asked us to bring them by since we were coming over here anyway."  
  
I nodded, smiled, and helped them bring everything inside. Taking the gifts for them, I slipped into Kaoru's room [she was still sleeping] and put the new gifts with the other ones that I had bought that day.  
  
After putting the sleeping gear in the extra room, Sano and Soujirou said good-bye and headed to their respective homes.  
  
Once done with a last minute check of the apartment [making sure everything was in order, checking to make sure that there was enough food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next few days, etc.], I sat down on the couch to watch some TV and wait for everyone.  
  
Channel-surfing should have been an Olympic sport.  
  
Coming across an episode of _Get Backers_, I settled down to watch as Ban and Ginji made utter fools of themselves. Two episodes of _Get Backers_ and an episode of _Arjuna_ later, Kamatari called and said that they were driving to the apartment and that he had gotten dinner enough for all of us [Kaoru included]. Twenty minutes later, there was a jangle of keys at the door, and I headed over to greet my newly arrived [and jetlagged] friends.  
  
"Welcome to Japan, ladies and gentlemen," I said with a grin as the came inside. Hugs [and kisses on the cheek from the girls] went around and we all moved into the living room. Everyone either sat down on the couch, the armchair, or the floor around the coffee table.  
"I like your place, guys," Akira commented. "Nice view. Must be great to go out onto the balcony and watch the sunrise."  
  
"It might be," I said. "I'll let you know when I know for sure."  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
"What? It's true; I haven't been out that early!"  
  
They laughed harder.  
  
_Some friends I have._  
  
"Gomen, Kenshin. We couldn't help it," Tomoe apologized.  
  
"Kenshin?" Kaoru's voice came from the hallway entrance. "What's going on?"  
  
I turned my head to see Kaoru standing there wearing the dark blue haori over her light blue yukata, leaning heavily against the wall for support. She looked like she was struggling to keep her legs from collapsing under her. Confused blue eyes roamed around the room as she tried to figure out what was going on.  
  
"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"  
  
I shook my head 'no', and made my way over to her to help walk her to where everyone else was sitting, watching interestedly.  
  
"I'm glad to see you awake and about Kaoru-chan!" Kamatari said.  
  
"Thanks, Kamatari, but I don't know if I can call this being 'about'," she joked with a small  
smile. I led her to the last empty space on the couch [where I had been sitting previously] and took a seat by her feet instead.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, I would like you to meet my friends from L.A. The girl in the purple shirt is Komagata Yumi."  
  
"Hi. Kenshin's talked a lot about you," she said smiling.  
  
"I'm Shishio Makoto. Fire is cool."  
  
Kaoru laughed. "It can be," she said.  
  
"Kiyosato Akira desu. Hajimemashite."  
  
"Same here," Kaoru replied.  
  
And so the introductions continued until the only one Kaoru hadn't met was Tomoe, because she had gone to refresh herself before dinner. Tomoe returned to the room, and sat down on the beanbag next to Akira's feet while he sat on the armchair.  
  
I noticed Kaoru was staring at her with a look of amazement. To bring her out of her stupor, I gave her a subtle poke on the foot; she reacted and blushed because I caught her staring at Tomoe.  
  
Tomoe looked at Kaoru, and smiled.  
  
"Konnichiwa. You must be Kaoru-san, right?"  
  
"And you're Tomoe-san, Enishi's cousin."  
  
"Hai. How do you know Enishi?"  
  
Kaoru's eyes turned distant. "We...just recently broke our engagement."  
  
"Oh. Sumimasen. I didn't mean to pry..." Tomoe trailed off.  
  
Deciding a change of subject [and in Kaoru's case, mood] was direly in order, I cleared my throat and turned to Kaoru.  
  
"Ano...did you see the semi-large pile of stuff in your room when you came out?" I asked her.  
  
She looked at me and shook her head. "There was only a desk lamp on."  
  
I nodded and grinned. "Then wait here while I bring that pile out. I think you'll like what you'll  
find."  
  
"In the meantime, why don't the rest of us go into the kitchen and have dinner?" Kamatari suggested. Most everyone else agreed with him, and followed him into the kitchen.  
  
I went and got Kaoru's gifts from her room [it took two trips], then sat down next to her on the  
couch while she opened each present, read each card, and smelled the two bouquets of flowers. Finally, the only gifts left were the ones I had bought. She took the smaller package first and opened carefully after reading the card I had picked up on the way.  
  
"Oh my..." she stared at the satin hair ribbon in amazement. "Kenshin, it's beautiful..."  
  
"I'm glad you like it," I replied. "Though there's still one last gift from me."  
  
"Nani ka? Where?"  
  
I turned to look at the first gift I had bought her that day. She followed my gaze and gasped.  
  
"Oh Kenshin, you didn't..."  
  
"Go on; open it. See for yourself, Kaoru-dono."  
  
She leaned over, and I helped her put the carrying case in her lap so she could open it. Lifting the latches that held the case shut, she opened the top.  
  
"Y-You did..." she said, tears brimming her eyes as she ran her hands over what lay in the case.  
  
It was a violin, finely crafted out of cherry wood, with a blooming jasmine flower painted delicately in the corner near where the instrument was tucked under the player's chin.  
  
"Arigato gozaimasu. Demo, you didn't have to do this for me, Kenshin. Taking me in and taking care of me is more than enough of a token in itself."  
  
"Just because you think so doesn't mean I do. When I saw this in the window of the shop I bought it from, it brought back memories of when you used to play and sing for your father," I explained.  
  
She leaned her head against my shoulder, and nodded while snapping the case closed and latching it shut. "I remember... He said the pain was more bearable when I played or sang for him," she said softly, a few tears sliding down her cheeks.  
  
I reached over with my right hand and thumbed the tears away. "Cheer up, Kaoru-dono. He's happier where he is now."  
  
She smiled softly and nodded. I decided now would be as good a time as ever to talk to her about what Megumi had told me this morning.  
  
"Kaoru-dono?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Ano...Megumi talked to me today after she was done seeing you. She...she recommended that you go to therapy or counseling."  
  
So the words weren't exact, but that _is_ what she meant.  
  
Kaoru sighed. "I know; she talked to me about it too. And...I think I want to go through with it. I think it might help me get over all of this."  
  
"Well, if you wouldn't object, I can talk to Tomoe about it. She might be willing to take you as a client since she herself is a therapist."  
  
Kaoru nodded. "Okay."  
  
And we continued sitting there, staring at the full moon through the balcony doors.

_**

* * *

-Two Months Later-  
  
**_ Over the course of the two months following Tomoe's arrival, Tomoe worked with Kaoru to help her heal. Tomoe gave Kaoru a diary to write all her thoughts and feelings down, because Kaoru couldn't bring herself to tell her what had happened that night I found her in the rain.  
Many times I would come across Kaoru sitting on the balcony at night, a flashlight in one hand and a pen in the other, writing away in her diary. Or _diaries_, I suppose, since she filled up at least two and a half books with words and thoughts and feelings.  
  
She'd gotten back into old hobbies—flaming batons, gymnastics, singing and playing instruments—and she had returned to working at Music Planet on a regular basis. Her kendo students welcomed her return as well, though I hadn't figured out why she hadn't moved back to the house on the dojo complex. Not that I was complaining; I was glad she was staying with me and Kamatari.  
  
_Maybe the house brings back too many memories. Either that, or she's waiting until she's ready._  
  
And soon the two months were up, and it was time for the others to return to LA. On the last night that they were there, Tomoe pulled me aside after dinner to talk to me.  
  
"She's healing Kenshin, but she's still hurting too. I've done as much as I could for her. I'm afraid I can't do much more."  
  
"Thank you for everything Tomoe."  
  
"Don't thank me. It's what I do."  
  
"But, why would she still be hurting?" I wondered aloud.  
  
"She's confused about several things. She's trying to understand what's going on within herself. I  
managed to save her from feeling worthless after what the man I regret to call my cousin did to her, but she's still a little lost on her own feelings about all that's happened. Give her time. I'm sure with people like you and her friends around, she'll be all right."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"One more thing," she said. "You should tell her how you feel. Otherwise she'll start wondering why keep looking at with that weird grin on your face."  
  
Grinning, she retired for the night while I stood there blushing like an idiot. It's true that I did want to tell her my feelings, but I wasn't exactly sure how.  
  
Scowling I couldn't help thinking, _You make it sound like it's the easiest thing in the world, Tomoe.  
  
_Then next day, Tomoe and everyone left to return to their lives in L.A. Kamatari, Kaoru, and I exchanged good-byes with everyone else at the airport; Kaoru and Tomoe had an especially heartwarming farewell. They exchanged numbers and email addresses, and promised to keep in touch, all the while trying hard not to cry. Hugging each other like sisters [and finally giving into the tears], I smiled at how close they had become.  
  
They left, and the three of us returned to the apartment. On the way to the elevator, Kamatari picked up the mail and flipped through it in the elevator.  
  
"There's an invitation to some party for you Kenshin," he said.  
  
"Really? Let me see that," I said taking the card from him. 

  
_You are cordially invited to attend the Technology Business Association's  
Seventh Annual Summer Ball,  
held on June 23rd at 7:00 P.M.  
Please confirm you and your escort's attendance no later than June 15th.  
RSVP to or call 0120-27-8786._

Kaoru looked at me curiously.  
  
"What's it say, Kenshin? You look a little confused."  
_  
I can't tell her I need an escort. Not just yet!  
_  
There was a little plan forming in my mind; a plan where I could reveal my feelings to her. Since June 23rd is her birthday, it would be even more special. But I had to do this just right. So I answered her, "Just mentally checking over some dates to make sure they don't clash."  
  
She accepted the answer and went into the apartment when Kamatari unlocked the door.  
  
"I can tell you're planning something, Ken," he told me softly, once Kaoru was safely out of earshot; she stood on the balcony, watching the moon.  
  
"I am, and I'll tell you, but I'd like it if you'd help me with it. She's going to need a new outfit and some accessories," I hinted. "But I'll let you know when to start on that when I know for sure."  
  
"I get it. Let me know when you'll need me. Oyasumi nasai, Kenshin."  
  
"Oyasumi nasai, Kamatari."  
  
He left for his room, and I headed to the balcony.  
_  
Time to start this ball rolling—no pun intended... _

****

**_-To Be Continued...-  
_**

* * *

**_A/N_**  
  
**_Ice: Well, that is the longest chapter I've written for this chapter so far. Sixteen pages!_**

_**Oh my gosh, thank you all so much for your reviews. You are absolutely wonderful people, and it makes me feel so loved. ::starts crying::**_

_**Kenshin: ::hands IceAngelKaoru a tissue:: Daijoubu de gozaru ka?**_

_**Ice: ::wipes eyes and nose:: Hai! ::glomps Kenshin:: KAWAII!!**_

_**Kenshin: ::swirly eyes:: Orororo... ::passes out::**_

_**Ice: Oops. Gomen, Kenshin.**_

_**Kenshin: ::wakes up:: Review Ice Angel Kaoru-dono's chapter, onegai! ::passes out again::**_

_**Ice: Kaoru's gonna kill me... ::looks worried::**_

_**Kaoru: ::looks murderous:: Oh, Kaoru-chan...**_

_**Ice: Uh oh... ::runs for her life:: REVIEW ONEGAI! SAVE ME!!! ::runs faster::**_

_**Kaoru: WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT SURPRISING HIM LIKE THAT? ::looks around:: ::sees IceAngelKaoru nowhere:: COME BACK HERE YOU COWARD! ::runs after IAK::**_

_**--IceAngelKaoru [Signing out: 8:51 PM PST, Saturday, August 24, 2004]**_


	8. Chapter Eight

**_Disclaimer –_**_ Too tired to do a long one. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin; all original characters and ideas are mine to claim. _****

**_Note –_**_ Possible OOCness ahead. Mentions of abuse and rape ahead. This chapter is in the form of Kaoru's diary entries over the two months that Tomoe was working with her and after. Though no dates are mentioned, an order is noticeable; this chapter will be extremely short. You've been warned. _

_This chapter told from Kaoru's POV. _****

****

**_-Save Me From the Darkness- _**

**_Chapter Eight – Thoughts and Memories: An Interlude _**

****

_Dear Diary, _

_Tomoe-san gave me to you so that I could pour my heart out. So I will. I won't give you the boring things, like what I look like or what I enjoy, because you are a continuation of my other diary (which I need to get back). Instead, I'll tell you what happened to me two Saturdays ago. _

_I can't stop thinking about that night, and every time I catch myself thinking about it I want to cry. But, I'm all cried out; I don't think I can shed any more tears… _

_It started out as a quiet evening between the two of us, just him and me. We had a quiet dinner around six (really early, ne?) and cuddled up on the couch for a movie, with a bottle of wine that he brought home the night before. I felt that maybe things were going to be okay after all. I thought that he was happy now; he'd been good to me lately, like he used to be. _

_Unfortunately, all good things don't last. _

_As we watched the movie and drank the wine, he cuddled closer to me. I didn't mind at first, but then he held me tighter, making it difficult for me to breathe. I told him he was holding me too close, and he gave me some breathing room. _

_His fingers gently stroked my hair, and I fell asleep for a while; I was happy and content. How could I not feel so good? However, I woke up to sickening sensations – the sour taste of a post-alcohol intoxicated mouth, a heavy weight on top of me, and ungentle hands ravaging my nearly bare skin. Snapping my eyes open in fear, I looked up to see him looking at me with lust-filled eyes. _

_I asked him what he was doing, my voice panicky and high-pitched. He smiled crazily and kissed me again, penetrating my mouth with his tongue and bruising my lips. I struggled against him, and he punched me. I continued to struggle; I couldn't give up like that. My eyes filled with tears as I fought back against him; I should have known that I couldn't win. He ended up beating me into unconsciousness. _

_I remember wondering if I was going to die; I was so afraid as I slipped into that black void. _

_When I woke up again, it was raining heavily outside, and he lay passed out near the couch, half-nude. Since he wasn't drunk when I first woke up, I suppose he passed out from fatigue. It made me sick. _

_It hurt to move and I was lying nude on the carpeted floor, the normally comfortable fabric rubbing against fresh wounds on my skin; there was blood crusted on various injuries to my body, and I felt sticky and uncomfortable in my more private area. Everything in my lower regions felt like it was on fire as I made the effort to move. _

_I knew I couldn't stay there anymore. I looked around the room to see random pieces of my clothing lying ripped on the ground. I couldn't wear them anymore, and I knew I had to get out of there. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to grab a black trench coat and put it on over my bare skin, tying the belt as securely as possible around my aching waist. My hair hung like a moth-eaten lace curtain around me my hair was a basic mess, and I was in such a panic to just get out of that house that I didn't even bother to wear shoes. _

_When I got onto the road, I truthfully had no idea where I was going. I couldn't think straight; my body hurt like hell, and I wanted to die I felt so soiled and grotesque. It was raining much harder now, the water coming down in sheets, soaking the coat through and through. I'm sure I wasn't walking straight either; I was most likely stumbling along, my fuzzy brain too lost to really understand what was happening. _

_Eventually, I collapsed on the front steps of a building, and my blurry mind managed to recognize the place as Kenshin's apartment building. As I lay there in the rain, I eventually fell into the dark abyss of unconsciousness yet again. I don't know what happened after that until I woke up Wednesday morning. _

_Kami-sama… _

_I think the only other time I've felt this…alone and…hopeless?…was when Otou-san died. I don't want to, but I keep shedding tears, even though I feel like I've cried myself out to where I can't cry anymore. _

_See? I'm crying now, too…_****

**_-/-/-/-/-/-/- _**

_Dear Diary, _

_I went back to the café today. Everyone was so glad to see me; they all thought I had had some sort of accident, which was why I had been out for so long. I suppose what happened could be considered an accident, but I think it's more a deliberate attempt to be a dominating bastard on his part. _

_For me, the whole relationship was an accident—a fatal mistake. But, oddly enough, it's because of him that I can stay here with Kenshin. I'm able to heal here, without feeling afraid or uncomfortable that I'm living with not one, but two guys, so shortly after a wordless break-up. He was even kind enough to go by the house and get my things during the hours that Yukishiro wouldn't be home he got in using a spare key that's always under the potted plant by the front door. _

_And now I sit here thinking of my redheaded friend. I remember when we were younger, and when we were together, I felt like everything was all right in the world—like there weren't any problems. I felt safe and…complete. _

_But when he left…I felt…empty. I felt like I was missing a part of myself, like my other half was gone. Sure, we stayed in touch, but it wasn't the same. I felt alone, kind of lost. I figured it was because we had been through so much together. _

_And then, almost two and a half years ago, I met Yukishiro. (I will not give the bastard the honor of having his first name in my diary!) It started out well, with me getting ready to graduate from college, working part-time as a secretary at a computer company. I met him on my second day of work, and eventually we started going out. After going out for about nine months, he proposed to me, and we started living together in the house we bought together. _

_I left my position as a secretary, and started training students again. It felt good to work with students in the dojo again, but I couldn't bring myself to live there. The memories were still too painful. At home, however, Yukishiro was becoming a bit aggressive. I confronted him about how he was hurting me. He told me some more about his past—his father was abusive, and his cousin's family was where he went when he wanted comfort. Then her family moved away, and he was alone. _

_"My hair turned white because she wasn't with me. I was alone," he said. _

_I suggested he go to therapy; he went, and I thought he got over the pain of his childhood. But then he started up again; weird how it was kind of sporadic. Normally, though, he tried putting me down with words; sometimes he'd hit me, but then he'd apologize and make it up to me somehow—he'd take me out to dinner, or bring me flowers and a box of chocolate _

_I thought he'd gotten better when he turned on me. I feel stupid for trusting him, but thankful because I realize now why I decided to go out with him in the first place; I was trying to fill the empty part of myself. But you know what, Diary? _

_I think I had started feeling emptier with him. And when Kenshin came back, and when we would get together, I started feeling whole again. _

_Maybe I never loved Yukishiro as much as I thought I did. I just didn't want to feel alone, I guess, so I got together with him. And now I feel whole again, but I'm with Kenshin. Sure, he's not in the room right now, but even when he's not around, I feel like there's a part of him with me, and I don't feel so empty inside…_****

**_-/-/-/-/-/-/- _**

_Dear Diary, _

_I've been working with Tomoe-san for almost a month and a half now, and only today did I have the courage to bring up my feelings. I told her about what I felt when I'm with Kenshin, when I'm not with him, and when he went away from here for so long. _

_She looked at me and gave me one of her sweet smiles as I talked to her while we sat on the beach. She said she knew how I felt, and knew what it would mean to her, and that my heart understood what was going on; I just had to wait for my brain to register what my heart was saying and that it would happen when the time was right. _

_I asked her about how she and Akira got together, and she told me they met in college. She said that she was walking to class one day when she ran into Kenshin and Akira, who were in the middle of a conversation dealing with an exam they were about to take; she bumped into Akira, said sorry, and hurried off to class saying hi to Kenshin over her shoulder. _

_She burst out laughing at this part. "I was rarely ever late, and it was one of those rare days I was late that I bumped into the man I decided to spend the rest of my life with." _

_I asked her if she thought it was just coincidence or fate. She replied, "In the words of Mizuki Kaho from Card Captor Sakura, 'There is no coincidence; there is only the inevitable.' So yes, I think it was fate that I met him that day. Kenshin ended up introducing us officially, and we slowly but surely progressed from friends to lovers." _

_I wonder if what happened with me and Yukishiro was fate. Maybe it was meant to happen; isn't there some kind of saying that says something like "Bad things happen so that we appreciate the good things"? But then I wonder, did it have to be this bad? _

_Grr… See? Now I've confused myself…_****

**_-/-/-/-/-/-/- _**

_Dear Diary, _

_Today has been very special. Something happened today that's filled my heart with so much joy that it feels like it's going to burst. _

_Tomoe-san and her travel companions had to return to L.A. today, and Kenshin, Kamatari, and I went to see them off at the airport. I felt a little déjà vu-ish during the whole thing because it reminded me of all of us going to say good-bye to Kenshin when he left for L.A._

_When I said good-bye to Tomoe-san today, I couldn't help the tears that fell from my eyes as we hugged. She feels like a sister to me, and she's helped me so much in the past few months. We've promised to stay in touch. _

_"Don't hesitate to give me a ring if you need someone to talk to. I'll always be there for you, the way friends should be. Just know that I'm very proud of you," she told me as we said good-bye. _

_I'm going to miss having her around. _

_So after that, we came back to the building. As we stood there in the elevator, Kamatari was sifting through the mail when he came across this invite for Kenshin to go to this…Ball…held by the Technology Business Association, and it's on my birthday. Anyway, we got to the apartment and I went over to the balcony because I wanted to watch the moon and the city lights for a while. About ten minutes later, he came out to join me. _

_We talked about what we're planning to do tomorrow. I told him that I'm going to the café late, because I had to train my students in the morning; he said he's going to the office for a company meeting—something about launching a new gaming system. _

_Then, all of a sudden, he got all shy on me. I looked at him, wondering why he got so quiet. He just looked at me for a second, scratched the back of his head, and was all "Ano, can I ask you something?" _

_Of course, I said, "Okay." _

_"Would you go to the Ball with me?" he asked. _

_For a second, I was wondering if I was hearing things. And then I intelligently replied, "Huh?" _

_"Would you go to the Ball with me?" he asked again. Then before I could give him an answer, he rushed into an explanation. _

_"You know that invitation I got in the mail today? It turns out it's an invitation to the Technology Business Association's annual Summer Ball; so basically, it's this big party with interesting business people from different technology companies—computer companies, game companies, etc. Thing is, I need an escort. I figured you might enjoy it since it's taking place on your birthday." _

_I gave him a big smile and said that I would go with him. I couldn't help thinking how cute he looked when he was nervous. He sighed in relief, though I doubt he knew I noticed that he was nervous. _

_Gradually, our conversation died down to a point where we were just standing there in silence, leaning against the railing, and staring at the moon. And then it just sort of hit me—my brain finally understood what my heart had been saying for so many years. I don't even know what I was thinking at the time, but whatever it was made it all click together and fall in place. _

_I understand now why I always felt, and still feel, whole when Kenshin's near me. I understand now why I feel empty when he's not with me. _

_Tomoe-san was right. It must have been the right time, because my brain registered what my heart has been saying for so many years now _

_I understand now that I am in love with Himura Kenshin. _

_And I'm going to tell him, Diary, on the night of the Ball. _

_All I can hope for is that he'll reciprocate what I feel, because truthfully, I am so very tired of being alone… _****

**_-/-/-/-/-/-/- _**

_A/N: And that, my loyal readers/reviewers, is the end of this chapter! Stay tuned for the next one!_

_Next Chapter: The Ball! _

_Hope you enjoyed! I'm off to bed because I have something called school in the morning! _

_Oyasuminasai! _

_Dreaming of Grace, _

_--Ice Angel Kaoru (Signing out—11:49 PM PST, September 5, 2004)_


	9. Chapter Nine

**_Disclaimer_**_ Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony Entertainment Enterprises, and Shueisha! Jump Comics. Any and all original ideas and characters are mine to claim. _

**_A/N_**_ I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoy__ed__ writing it. Someone asked me in their review about the possibility of whether or not Enishi will be present at the ball, considering he's a computer programmer. I don't like to give anything away unless everyone asks me to tell them, but then, isn't that what the chapter is for? However, our Tiger does have a role in this chapter__ (and I'm sure to receive some "comments" from Enishi-lovers because of it)__. So please, enjoy this one because it just happens to be the one I've been waiting to write for some time now! _

**_Note_**_ Possible OOCness ahead. Mentions of rape and abuse. This chapter told from Kaoru's and Kenshin's POVs. _

**_-Save Me From the Darkness- _**

****

**_Chapter Nine -- Confrontations & Confessions _**

****

****

**_-Kenshin-_**

"You look stunning, Kaoru."

It was the night of the Ball, Kaoru's twenty-fourth birthday--and the night I would tell her how I felt about her. I must admit, however, that I felt quite nervous.

_Will she accept what I have to say?_

She gave me a glowing smile, and my heart fluttered a bit. Kaoru looked absolutely beautiful in the gown Kamatari had made for her; it was a pale, shimmering silver-blue in color, the sleeves a flowing transparent chiffon of the same shade and fell to the floor, while the rest of it was made of satin. The skirt seemed form-fitting and pooled slightly around her feet. The gown just barely covered her shoulders, the neckline slightly curved and coming about two inches below her collarbone. There was modesty and elegance in the dress that seemed perfect for Kaoru; after all, she was pretty modest and elegant herself.

She hooked her right arm through my left, and I stuck my right hand into the pant pocket that accompanied the pants of my traditional black-and-white tux, fingering the velvet box that resided beside my car keys.

As I led her to the car, I couldn't help staring at her through the corner of my eye. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a half ponytail and held in place with a Kamatari-designed clip shaped like three jasmine flowers, silver-blue satin ribbons cascading from their stems, and the rest of her hair flowing down to her mid-thighs.

She wore little make-up--just some lipstick and eye shadow, nothing else. Swinging silver and diamond earrings fell from the lobes of her ears and glittered in the light of the setting sun, and simple silver bangles circled her wrists, making a slight clang as she walked; a simple silver and diamond choker hung around her pale neck.

Kamatari knew what I was giving her tonight, and had picked out the jewelry especially at my request; but the jewelry looked like just like something Kaoru would wear. It looked that good.

_I hope she likes what I have for her._

We got into the car, and drove off, her asking questions about what would be going on, and me answering them. She was curious about who we might end up meeting at the Ball.

We finally arrived after about a twenty-minute drive to the hotel where the event was being held. I parked and helped her out of the car, and we went inside, our arms linked once again. The hotel was the Four Points-Tokyo Bay, had an amazing ballroom located on the top floor, with a wide balcony outside for those who wished to have some privacy, or to get some fresh air. It wasn't really a dinner party; instead, there were various different appetizers, desserts, and drinks (again, no alcohol; the committee must have decided they didn't want any drunk drivers after it was all over). As we walked around, looking at everything. When we ran into none other than Tae.

Turns out her restaurant was catering the food that night; so, dressed in her uniform of white tuxedo shirt, black slacks, black cummerbund and black bowtie, she walked around offering drinks and snacks with the rest of her team.

We continued to walk around, letting Tae do her job, and ended up running into a few of my colleagues: Matsutoya Hiroshi and his wife, Yumiko. Hiroshi-san and I got into a conversation about different game consoles that were already on the market, while his wife and Kaoru talked about whatever it is women talk about. By the time we separated, Kaoru had made a new friend and was very happy.

I noticed a few people had come without escorts, and I wondered how that worked, considering the invitations distinctly mentioned confirming the invitee and their escort's presence.

_Hmm… Weird… _

I continued to meet with colleagues and acquaintances until I felt Kaoru tug on my arm a little.

"What is it, Kaoru-dono?"

"Ano…"

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kaoru-_**

"…Would you dance with me?"

I blushed.

I couldn't help it! He looked so handsome that night, in his traditional black-and-white tux, his blood-red hair slicked back neatly into a high ponytail that distinctly reminded me of a samurai's topknot, his bangs framing his face and falling into his lavender eyes.

He gave me one of his warm smiles, took my hand, and led me onto the dance floor. His left arm went around my waist and his right hand took my left in his own, while my own right hand rested on his left shoulder.

_Kami-sama, we're standing so close… Oh no, not again! I don't want to keep blushing like a school girl! _

And as we danced, I forgot that I had a slight tinge of pink on my cheeks. I forgot about the world around us as I got caught up in the music and the movement of our bodies to the varying beats of the different songs that played over the speakers.

Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as I would have liked.

From where we were dancing, we had a clear view of the entrance depending on which one of the two of us was facing it.

And I just had to be facing it when _he_ entered the room.

He was alone and dressed in a tuxedo as well, but in a dark-gray-and-black scheme. The shirt was black; everything else was dark gray. I had to admit he looked quite good.

But looks can be deceiving.

The song had just ended, and Kenshin and I were about to go get a drink when he looked right at me.

I froze.

_Oh Kami-sama…_

_Yukishiro is here…and he's looking at me…_

_What am I going to do? _

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kenshin-_**

I noticed Kaoru had stopped walking as we made our way to the refreshment table.

_Why'd she freeze? _

"Kaoru-dono?" I asked, turning to face her.

_She looks a little scared… _

The color had drained from her face, her eyes filled with panic. I followed her scared gaze, and understood immediately why she was afraid.

"Kaoru-dono? Daijoubu desu ka?"

At the sound of my voice, she snapped out of her daze and looked at me.

"Do you…"

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kaoru-_**

"…want to leave?"

At his inquiry, I actually considered leaving…and then changed my mind immediately after that thought crossed my mind, because something Tomoe-san had told me rang through my brain like a light in the dark: "Nobody has the right to make you feel uncomfortable in any environment or situation you might be in. If you're afraid of someone, remember that it is only that--_it is only a fear_. Don't be afraid to confront fear, because fear can't confront you once you've confronted it."

_What am I thinking? I can't just run away like a dog with its tail between its legs. That's not me! There is no way in Hell that I'm going down without a fight! What he did to me was wrong. If he tries to apologize about everything to me like he's done so many times, then it's time for him to understand that I'm not one to bend to the whims of others. _

"Iie, Kenshin. I want to stay."

He nodded and gave me a warm smile.

I couldn't help smiling back.

"Kaoru?"

I turned around quickly, my skirt flaring out just a bit because of my momentum.

"Yukishiro," I said, a bit coldly than I wanted it to come out.

"Ano…may I talk to you? Alone?"

"I must apologize, but I don't trust you enough anymore to talk with you without the supervision of a third person."

"Well, I still want to talk to you. Would it be all right with you if the three of us went somewhere a little more secluded?"

"Considering what we have to talk about, no, I don't mind if we go somewhere more private."

Kenshin and I followed him to a corner near the back of the hall, Kenshin all the while looking at me curiously, as if asking, _"What are you planning to do?"_

We stopped walking, and I took to leaning against the wall while Kenshin simply stood next to me. Yukishiro stood facing me, his aquamarine eyes remorseful.

"Kaoru, I-I wanted to apologize--"

"Again?"

"Kaoru, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"Didn't mean to? DIDN'T MEAN TO? _How in all the levels of Hell can you say that_? I tasted it in your mouth, Yukishiro! _You were sober_!" I exclaimed, somehow managing to keep my voice somewhat low. We were lucky people were not looking at us.

"I'm sorry…"

I was near tears.

"When I left that Saturday night, _you were passed out on the floor_. Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? Do you even realize what you did to me? I still have the scars that you inflicted upon me, both physically and mentally; those scars will never disappear from my being, even though they will fade with time."

He stared at me, trying to form something coherent.

I plowed on ahead, unable to stop, my voice choked and my eyes brimming.

"Your apologies are empty, Yukishiro… You've apologized so many times. I'm tired of hearing the words 'I'm sorry' spilling from your lips…

"Look, you were a really decent guy when I met you almost two and a half years ago, and you still are; I _know_ you can be a really great guy. But you need to get over your inner demons first. I'm sorry, but I can't be with you anymore. I've given up on us ever being together. What you did was unforgivable.

"But I promise, eventually you will find the right girl for you, and I pray you'll be absolutely certain that you won't end up treating her the way you treated me. But please, and take this advice as if it's from a friend, please get help; you can overcome your inner demons and you'll feel like a brand new person.

"Good-bye, Yukishiro Enishi. After this moment, we are nothing more to each other than bitter memories."

And then Kenshin and I walked away, leaving Yukishiro dumbstruck to the point where his mouth was the perfect imitation of a fish.

I felt like I could do anything now. The memories of what he did to me would not hold me down anymore.

As I walked away with Kenshin, I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my face.

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kenshin-_**

Kaoru looked beyond happy at the moment. I just hoped she would stay happy after I talked to her. I don't know if she had noticed, but I had yet to wish her on her birthday…

After getting something to drink and mingling some more, I was ready to get a breath of fresh air, and Kaoru agreed as well.

We made our way to the balcony, and I marveled at the view; the light of the full moon glittered on the waters of the bay as the waves crashed against the beach, and the stars shone like diamonds on dark velvet. The sky was clear, and the slight breeze blowing about was balmy and warm, perfumed with the scents of summer flowers. It was quite a beautiful sight.

I turned to look at Kaoru, and found her staring at the moon. Her hair billowed around her slightly, the sleeves of her gown following suit. The moon shone bright on her peachy cheeks, giving her face an ethereal glow; she reminded me of a goddess as she stood there in the moonlight.

Taking my chances about surprising her, I gave her a quick hug.

She looked at me in curiosity; I smiled.

"I'm proud of you. You gave him quite a verbal lashing tonight, and handled yourself really well in that particular situation. I'd say he got his just desserts."

She smiled at me. "I'm just happy to know that I don't have to worry about him anymore. He's my past, and while the past can't be changed and will always be with me, it doesn't matter anymore; what matters now is how I keep living. He gave me wounds and scars, and some of them are still healing, but I'm sure they'll heal and fade over time."

We stood there in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company, when I decided it was time.

"Ano…Kaoru-dono?"

"Hai?"

"There's-There's something I wanted to tell you…"

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kaoru-_**

I looked at Kenshin, his face contorted in concentration; I got the impression that he was trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say. After a few more seconds, he spoke again.

"If…If I was to tell you…that I…would give you…all of me…would you be able and willing to accept it? Would you be able to reciprocate it? Because…well, the truth is…that…I really would…_and will_…give you all of me…" he said, the last few words coming out as no more than just above a whisper.

I stared at him for a few moments, processing what he had just said, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

_Is he saying what I hope he's saying? I promised myself that I would tell him how I feel tonight, but now I'm not sure what to say…_

**_…I really would…and will…give you all of me…_**

_I know what I'm going to say… _

Coming out of my thoughts, I turned away from him and looked toward to water.

"For the longest time…"

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kenshin-_**

"…I couldn't understand what was going on inside my mind and heart. I remember as a teen, as a child, and even now as an adult, I felt incomplete for some reason; I felt empty, like a part of me was missing. I never understood why. I thought I was being strange, and brushed the feelings aside. And then, as I worked with Tomoe-san, I realized that I only felt empty when you weren't around; but when I came to this realization, I still didn't understand why. But suddenly, however, I did understand; it was like an epiphany, I guess… Kenshin, the truth of the matter…is that…well, while you're willing to give me all of you, you don't need me to reciprocate it…because…_you've always had all of me…_"

I stood there, processing what had just fallen from her lips.

_Did she just say what I'm pretty sure she said?_

**_…You've always had all of me…_**

My heart felt like it was about to burst, like I was floating on air.

_She accepts my feelings… _

I smiled, and turned her towards me. She looked at me, her blue eyes shimmering like jewels, swirling with love.

She looked beyond beautiful to me right then.

I vaguely felt my head tilting towards her own, one hand reaching behind to cradle her head, the other wrapping softly around her waist, bringing her closer to me…

Her eyes slid nearly shut, and I felt her warm breath caressing my skin…

Our lips met, sweetly, softly; she tasted like berries…

_This is bliss…_

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kaoru-_**

He turned me to face him, and his eyes shone with a love deeper than any I had ever known before; I was enraptured by his amethyst pools and the way the moonlight gleamed in his pale face.

He was the epitome of an angel from Heaven right then.

His hands were gentle yet firm as he held me nearer to him. I vaguely felt my own hands rest against his chest, his heartbeat pulsing silently through their sensitive palms…

My eyes almost closed, and I felt his sweet breath tickling my face. I felt my cheeks flush the tiniest bit, and was sure there was a stain of pink on my skin…

His lips met mine, gently, quietly; I was enraptured.

I lost all sense of thought, and felt myself floating away on a cloud while in his embrace…

_I've never felt so free…_

We broke apart once we felt the lack of air, but even then, the spell that had been cast was unbroken.

He held me close to him using his left arm, and I watched in curiosity as he reached into his pocket with his right hand and pulled out a velvet box.

The box was too big to be a ring, so I wondered what it could be as I watched him open it.

He set the open box down on the ledge, and I gasped at what I saw.

It was a delicate silver chain, and what looked like a small heart-shaped pendant. The pendant in itself was beautiful--a diamond heart sat lined by the silver of the pendant, and a small sapphire heart sat in the center of the diamond.

"It's more than just a pendant."

I looked at Kenshin as he smiled, and looked back at the "pendant". Reaching out a hand, I fingered it a bit, and felt the clasp identical to that of a locket. Slipping the chain and locket out of the box for closer inspection; once it was in my hands, I opened the locket.

Inside the locket sat two very small pictures--one was a picture of my parents and I when my mother was still alive, and the other was a picture of Kenshin and myself.

"Look at the back," he said.

I flipped the locket over and read what was engraved into the silver.

_K&K Forever…_

**_-/-/-/-/-_**

**_-Kenshin-_**

I took the locket and chain from Kaoru's hands, and undid the clasp on the chain; with each hand holding an end of the chain, I reached around and behind Kaoru's neck and clasped the chain shut.

"Thank you," she said softly, leaning against my chest. My arms settled around her waist and we stood there quietly for a few moments.

I was ready to call it a night.

"Kaoru-dono? Are you ready to go home?"

"Hmm…" was her only reply; I took it as a 'yes'.

"Okay," I said, and proceeded to lead her back into the ballroom so we could go to the car, and remembered something that needed to be said before the night was over.

"By the way, Kaoru-dono…"

"Hai?"

"Happy Birthday."

She smiled.

**_-/-/-/-/- _**

****

**_Please review! Arigato gozaimasu! _**

****

**_Oyasuminasai! _**

****

**_--Ice Angel Kaoru (Signing Off--2:24 AM PST, September 25, 2004) _**


	10. Chapter Ten

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony Entertainment Enterprises, Shueisha Jump! Comics. All original characters and ideas are mine to claim. _

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**_Note:_**_ This chapter is good; doesn't have any mature themes/ideas. Told from Kenshin and Kaoru's POVs. Enjoy! _

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**_-Save Me From the Darkness- _**

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**_-Chapter Ten -- Heart and Soul- _**

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**_-Kenshin- _**

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Over the next few months, things between Kaoru and I progressed at a comfortable pace. We had our little romantic quirks like Kaoru occasionally falling asleep in my lap on the couch; I would just tuck her in when I myself went to bed.

I was happy that I was able to save the girl I'd loved for the majority of my existence. I figured maybe it was time to start thinking about a future with Kaoru.

We talked about marriage a few times, and we were both content with the thought that if we ended up marrying each other it would make us the happiest people on earth.

So, I decided that I would ask her to marry me.

And then, Kaoru introduced another topic for the both of us to chew on.

We were cuddling on the couch after dinner one night, and Kamatari was off in his room, working on some dress designs for his new "Birthstone" line. I was reading some paperwork while Kaoru channel-surfed. She ended up settling on an episode of _Gakkou no Kaidan_.

"I love this one," she said. "Satsuki's my favorite."

I chuckled.

"Such simple pleasures," I said, looking at her.

"Sshh! It's the episode with Yamime!"

"'Yamime'?"

"Just watch!"

"Hai, hai…"

So we watched. And then we watched _Ultra Maniac_ after that, and then _Ai Yori Aoshi_ after that.

Finally, after watching the three shows, she turned the television off, and looked down at her lap as if in deep thought, and I got back to my paperwork.

"Kenshin?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking…"

"About?" I prompted, giving her my undivided attention.

"Well…" She trailed off, gathering her thoughts while I waited for her to continue.

"I think…maybe…it's time to move back into the dojo…but it's just so empty there, y'know? With otou-san's death, it felt so gloomy, and there are so many sad memories waiting there for me. Even when I train my students, it still feels so empty.

"But, strangely, it also feels like his spirit is still lingering there, as if he's waiting for something to happen before he can move on. I don't know what to do; should I move back in, or should I just stay here?"

I pondered over what she said, and wondered what to say.

What does a guy say to his girlfriend to help her figure out whether or not she should move back into the house she grew up in?

Knowing I probably wasn't going to be able to help her with this one, I said the only thing I could think of.

"As much as I would like to help you decide, only you can make such a decision. It doesn't affect anyone else but you."

She nodded sadly. "I guess you're right. But then, you're always right."

I chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Shimpairanai. Everything will turn out just fine in the end."

"Y'know, when I was meditating with my students today, I was remembering the time when Otou-san taught me the ougi. He was so weak from the cancer, and he knew he was going to die. I even told him so; but he said he had saved his strength for those last few lessons. Even though he was so ill, when we sparred he held himself like someone who was in perfect health; his last act swordsmanship was teaching me the ougi. He left me shortly after, but he left with a smile on his face… His last words to me were that he loved me and that I had made him the proudest father that there ever was…"

She smiled sadly, lost in her memories. I smiled at her, put my arm around her, and pulled her closer to me. Bending my head down slightly I gave her a kiss. She smiled up at me happily, her sadness gone, and cuddled closer to me; she eventually fell asleep.

**-/-/-/-/-**

**_-Kaoru-_**

I walked around the café, talking to my customers, asking if everything was to their liking. Kenshin and the rest of my friends sat at a corner table with a good view of the stage; I looked over at them, and he waved.

I checked my watch, saw the time, and headed to the stage. I had some announcing to do.

"Konbanwa, minna-san!" I greeted into the mic, watching my customers. "Is everyone enjoying themselves?"

I got a chorus of slight cheers from my audience, and I continued.

"That's great. Okay, many of you are regular customers here, and some of you aren't, but that's okay too. Anyone and everyone is welcome here. But today…well, today is special because today is the 1st anniversary of Music Planet's opening! And so, I would like to ask all of you a favor. I'm going to call up the staff, and present them with a small token of my gratitude; would you guys please give them a round of applause when they come up?"

The customers cheered in agreement.

"Okay. I'd like to ask my boyfriend," I blushed slightly while saying this, "Himura Kenshin, and my other friends who managed to make it tonight to join me onstage to help with the honors."

Kenshin, Sanosuke, Megumi, Soujiro, Aoshi, and Misao came onstage. Kenshin stood by me on my right, and Megumi stood on my left. Sanosuke pulled a large decorated box out from the corner and set it on the stool that stood near where Kenshin, Megumi, and I were standing. Soujiro, Aoshi, and Misao lined up next to the box, and Misao gave me the cue that they were ready. I pulled out a list from my pocket with the names of all the employees in the order they were to come on stage.

"Okay, first up, our wonderful chef, Yamamoto Shura!"

The amber-eyed, emerald-haired woman came walked up on stage, shook my hand, and accepted the small showpiece that I had had specially made for each employee with their names engraved on them from the small assembly line by the box.

I passed the list to Kenshin. "Would Hirataka Yukako please come up?"

Yukako came up on stage, and went through the same process as Shura. It continued until all of my employees had received their gift. I then called up the entire staff to the front, and had them take a bow while the audience clapped.

Shura then took the mic, under the pretense of "saying a few words".

"Minna-san, while it's all right for you to applaud for us, would you please give a big round of applause for Kaoru-san here? After all, this place is her baby, and without her, none of us would be here to serve you!"

I blushed and took a slight bow as everyone clapped for me.

"Kaoru-san, the rest of the staff and I have decided that we would like to ask you for one more gift, if we may be so bold," Shura continued, after the noise had died down.

I looked at her, then at Kenshin and everyone else. Coming to a conclusion, I nodded and gave her approval for one last gift.

"Would you please sing for us?"

"Oh my…" I trailed off.

"**_PLEASE???_**" my staff pleaded, all of them giving me puppy-dog looks.

"Aww…now how can I say 'no' to all of you when you look like that? Okay, I'll sing. But I'll do you one better; I'll sing one of our karaoke choices, and a special song that I wrote. How's that?"

"**_YEAH!!!_**"

My staff filed off, and Kenshin and the others returned to their seats.

"Hmm…" I thought about what song to sing, well aware that my audience was watching me in anticipation.

I walked to the choices that we had in our karaoke selection, and started flipping through them, finally coming across the one I wanted.

I entered my selection into the karaoke machine, and turned to the audience as the intro played overhead.

"I've chosen Ishida Yoko's Towa no Hana. I hope you like it."

I paused then, waiting for the music's cue to begin singing. When it came, I was ready.

**_"Awaku saita hana no kao  
_****_Nokoshi kisetsu wa sugimasu  
_****_Ame mo agari sora ni kumo  
_****_Aoi kaze ga soyoideru _**

****

**_Kyou ashita to futari ga  
_****_Aruku toki no katawara de  
_****_Kawarazu ni yureteiru  
_****_Omoide ga arimasu _**

**_Eien wo eien wo  
_****_Saitemo karenai  
_****_Kono mune no tokimeki wa tsukinai  
_****_Dare yori mo dare yori mo  
_****_Anata wo mitsumete  
_****_Hateshinaku kono kimochi zutto _**

**_Ano hi futari de ata no wa  
_****_Sekai jyuu de ikudomeni  
_****_Okita kiseki nano desho wo  
_****_Dare ni kansha tsureba ii_**

**_Aa anata no mirai ga  
_****_Kitto watashi ni wa ni aito  
_****_Sou ienai yoru mo aru  
_****_Nakisou ni naru kedo _**

**_Eien wo eien wo  
_****_Subite mo asenai  
_****_Kaze no naka sora no shita natsu no  
_****_Shinjitara shinjitara  
_****_Anata no e ga ora  
_****_Watashi no hanani naru kara kitto _**

**_Eien wo eien wo  
_****_Saitemo karenai  
_****_Kono mune no tokimeki wa tsukinai  
_****_Dare yori mo dare yori mo  
_****_Anata wo mitsumete  
_****_Hateshinaku kono kimochi zutto."_**

I smiled to myself when I finished, and attempted to keep the blush off of my face as I reveled in the fact that I could still hit the high notes; I was a first soprano in my high school choir, and I remained a first soprano through the years.

I felt like I was on fire. This is what I loved; my customers were happy, and enjoying themselves.

Finally, I decided it was time to bring out what Soujiro had helped me put together. I looked out into the audience, and was surprised to see a TV cameraman.

Soujiro came up on stage, dressed in his snappy black business suit, a mic in his and. "Kaoru, we wanted to do a story on the restaurant's 1st anniversary. Would you mind if we interviewed you?"

"Well, I'll admit I'm a little surprised, but sure, I'd be glad to."

"Great! Hey Kira, we ready to roll?"

"Yup," his cameraman said. He gave the cue, and Soujiro started speaking.

"Konbanwa, minna-san! I'm coming to you live from Music Planet's 1st anniversary bash. I stand here with Kamiya Kaoru, the owner and manager of this wonderful establishment. So Kaoru, can you believe that it's been a year since this place opened?"

"Truthfully, Seta-san, I'm still trying to get over the fact that I've managed to open and run this place so well. It took a lot of work to put this place together. But it was great, because my friends backed me up 100 percent, and they even pitched in to help clean this place up. If you'll look at that back wall over there, 'The Wall of Tidbits' as it's called here, all of us put it together; we put in several hours painting the artwork, signing it, finding meaningful quotes to put up, etcetera. We do, however, have some open spaces, because our friend Kenshin was still living in the U.S. at the time. I'm sure, though, that the spots will be filled soon."

"Okay. Well, you just came off stage after singing a song for your employees, am I correct?"

"Mm-hmm," I hummed, nodding my head.

"Which song did you sing?"

"Oh, I sang Ishida Yoko's 'Towa no Hana', since my employees asked for me to sing. And now I just have one more song to sing."

"Really? Which one?"

"Ano…" I blushed, "it's something I wrote, that a friend of mine helped me mix, so that there are both a recorded version, and a karaoke version of the song."

"Well, good luck on your performance."

"Arigato."

"This is Seta Soujiro, signing off of the Six O'Clock Flash. Back to you in the studio, Harumi."

"And **CUT**! That was great Soujiro!"

"Arigato gozaimasu, Kira." Soujiro then turned back to me. "Are you going to sing what I think you're going to sing?"

I grinned and nodded; checking my watch, I realized that a good 20 minutes had passed and that I was well overdue with my song to everyone. Running into my office, I retrieved the disc with the karaoke version of the song, and rushed back out onto the stage.

"Okay, everyone. I have one more song for you. This one is an original that I wrote, and my good friend Soujiro helped me mix it. So first, a round of applause for Sou-kun!"

Everyone clapped and cheered.

"Okay then. I hope you enjoy this song. It's called 'Kimi ga Ita Monogatari'."

I slipped the CD into the player, and felt like I was immersing into the intro. Soujiro did a wonderful job mixing it. When I heard the cue, I let myself go with the music.

**_"Shizukesa to yasuragi ga tooku de maneku kara  
_****_Mou sukoshi saki ni made yuke souna ki ga suru  
_****_Tada te wo tori atte kogori tsuku yoru wo koete _**

****

**_Kizutsuite utsubuita toki ni deatta kara  
_****_Setsunasa ga akunareba hanarete yuku you de  
_****_Yogoreta mizu no ue dakara tsuki no kage ga kirei de _**

****

**_Sore ha kanashimi no kataru monogatari  
_****_Koi to yobu koto ni mada tameratteiru  
_****_Itetsuita yoru ni chikaku naru hoshi ha  
_****_Kimi ga iru yume wo itsumade misetekureru darou _**

****

**_Omoide wo nomi konde sora no ao ha fukaku  
_****_Nukumori no kureru mono te ni hairanai mono  
_****_Nani wo wakeatte nani wo sutete yuku koko ni _**

****

**_Kono mama futari de itetsuita sora no  
_****_Kanata he yukeru to douka shinjiteite  
_****_Dareyori mo chikaku dokomade mo tooku  
_****_Kimi ga iru yume ha mou kesenai kioku dakara _**

****

**_Sore ha kanashimi no kataru monogatari  
_****_Koi to yobu koto ni mada tameratteiru  
_****_Itetsuita yoru ni chikaku naru hoshi ni  
_****_Kimi ga iru yume wo mada mitsumeteitai dake de._**" 

As the music died away, I felt for the first time how much my heart was racing from the excitement.

It was amazing to perform one of my own pieces up there. Truly amazing…

-/-/-/-/-

**_-Kenshin-_**

I was blown away with her performance; my mouth was hanging open slightly as I came back to reality after Kaoru finished her last song.

_Wow… _

I wondered if I should wait any longer to ask what I'd been waiting to ask for several weeks now. Sticking a hand into the pocket of my pants, I felt for the small, dark blue, velveteen box that I brought with me. It was there.

I looked around the restaurant, the lights brightly lighting up the place. There was still a huge rush of people, but that was fine. I wasn't really concerned about it; in fact, I figured that the large amount of people would be able to help me remember that this was not a dream.

I sighed, my mind made up. Excusing myself from the table, I made my way toward the stage, climbing the small steps quickly and taking my place at the mic. Sticking my hand into my pocket for easy access to the box, I cleared my throat.

"Excuse me, minna-san. There's something that I would like to say. Ano…Kaoru-dono, would you please join me onstage?"

She looked over at me from where she was talking to some customers, confusion and curiosity pooling in her eyes. Nodding, she came up on stage and stood next to me.

I gave her a smile, and turned back to the audience to continue speaking.

"First off, I would like to congratulate my girlfriend on a job well done, both with running tonight's events, and with running this place everyday. So would all of you please give her a round of applause?"

Claps, cheers, whistles, and shouts echoed around the room.

Once it had all died down, I turned to Kaoru with the mic still in my left hand, and my right hand still holding the box in my pocket.

"Finally, you've given everyone a gift, but you've received no gift yourself. So, our friends and I put a little something together for you. Hey guys, it's time!" I turned my head to our group, and motioned with my head to come up on stage with the 'gift' that we had gotten Kaoru. By this time, even Kamatari was present; he came late after closing the boutique.

Sano walked up onstage with everyone around him, carrying a gift wrapped box in his hands. They made a horseshoe around us, and Sano handed the box to Kaoru.

"Congratulations Kaoru!" they chorused. I watched as Kaoru opened the box right then and there, paying no heed to the wrapping paper; her eyes sparkled when she saw the give inside. It was a gold showpiece shaped like a jasmine flower. On each petal was engraved the kanji of one or two names of our friends; engraved in the center were the phrases "Friends Forever" and "We love you".

"Arigato gozaimasu, minna. This is truly something," she said, her eyes shimmering with happy tears.

They smiled; one by one, they gave her a hug and then filed off stage.

I then returned my attention to the mic, and turned to fully face her, so that I was speaking to her.

"Well, that was our gift. I, however, have one more gift that I'd like to give you; it depends on whether you will accept it or not."

She looked at me confused. Getting straight to the point, I dropped down to one knee, grabbed the box in my pocket, and flipped it open.

Looking her straight in the eye, I turned the box to face her, held it on my open palm, and returned to speaking.

"I don't really know how long I've loved you; it's always felt like forever to me. Last summer when we confessed to each other, I told you that I would give you all of me. So now I'm saying it one last time, because I love you more than anything in the world: I will give you all of me. And more," I said.

I took a deep breath, and popped the question. "Kamiya Kaoru, will you marry me?"

She looked at me, straight in the eye; I could see the emotions swirling her tear-brimmed eyes, and she smiled wide as they started to fall.

"Himura Kenshin, yes, I will gladly marry you."

Quickly standing, I slipped the ring out of the box and onto her ring finger, then gathered her into a hug and passionate kiss. All around me, I heard cheers and clapping, and the distinct sound of Misao, Soujiro, Kamatari and Sanosuke yelling "Finally!" at the top of their lungs.

Holding Kaoru close, I whispered into her ear, "I love you."

She smiled back, and whispered back, "I love you too."

As we got ready to leave when everything was over, I caught Kaoru looking at me and then at "The Wall of Tidbits", then back at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Nan desu ka?"

She grinned. "You need to fill the empty spots with stuff."

I chuckled and told her I would get right on it when I came back the next day.

That night, I think we were the happiest couple alive.

-/-/-/-/-

**_A/N:_**

I LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because I absolutely enjoyed writing it. The song that Kaoru sings that she says she wrote is not my original work; "Kimi ga Ita Monogatari" is by Kajiura Yuki, and is part of the .hack soundtracks (dunno which one).

"Towa no Hana" is the opening for Ai Yori Aoshi, and is by Ishida Yoko.

Let me know what you guys thought, onegai! The epilogue will be up soon! (Sooner than however long this one took, anyway!)

That's all I have to say.

Oyasuminasai!

**_--IceAngelKaoru (Signing out--9:44 PM PST, November 2, 2004)_**


	11. Epilogue

**_Disclaimer: _**_Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki/Sony Entertainment Enterprises/Shueisha Jump! Comics. All original ideas and characters are mine to claim. _

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**_Note:_**_ This is the end! Possible OOCness ahead; vague mention of mature situations and possible language issues. Otherwise, this is pretty tame. Please enjoy my last installment of this fic. And to all of you Muslim people out there who are reading this, Eid-ul-Fitr Mubarak! _

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**_-Save Me From the Darkness- _**

**_-Epilogue--Into the Future- _**

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**_--Two Months Later: April 27th-- _**

**-Kenshin- **

I was pacing, my sandals trying to wear holes into the rug.

"For Kami-sama's sake, Kenshin! Calm down!" Sanosuke yelled at me.

"How? How the hell am I supposed to calm down? I'm getting married in an hour! What if something goes wrong? What if she decides not to go through with it at the last minute? What if I collapse on the spot and--"

"SHUT UP! NOTHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG!"

"Maybe I can help," Akira said as he walked into the room, dressed in a traditional set of deep blue hakama, white gi, and silver-blue haori lined with white; Sanosuke, Soujiro, Aoshi, and Okita were wearing the same thing.

I was dressed in the same type of clothing as well; I also wore deep blue hakama, but I had a silver-white gi (with deep blue under lining), and a silver-blue haori lined with deep blue.

Akira looked at me, and I looked at him.

He smiled. "I was exactly like you on my wedding day, or have you forgotten?"

My eyes widened. He was right.

"Oh good, you didn't forget. If I remember correctly, a certain best man told me that morning to think about what the bride is going through instead--how nervous she might be, how ready she feels, how excited she is…"

I closed my eyes, and immediately Kaoru's smiling face came to mind. I felt myself calm down, and a smile spread across my face.

"See? It does work. Now come on, we have to get to the shrine."

**_-/-/-/-/- _**

**-Kaoru- **

I stared at myself in the full-length mirror.

_Is that really me? _

The fabric of my many-layered kimono was a pale bluish-silver with a wide white border lined with deep blue on the sleeves and hem, the obi a silver-white. Silver sakura petals showered the bottom near the border; it was sewn so that the kimono fit my form until it reached floor and formed a small train behind me.

My face was covered in the traditional white face paint, my lips tinted a bright reddish-pink, and my eyelids were decorated with some traditional grayish-black eyeshadow, while my eyes were lined with a little bit of eyeliner to bring out the blue in them.

Some of my hair was done in a stylish bun held with a pair of diamond-studded sticks decorated with some flowing silver ribbons, while the rest was left to hang down to my thighs, and some of my more stubborn locks and bangs framed my face.

_Kamatari, you did an amazing job_, I thought to myself.

I wiggled my tabi-clad toes in anticipation, and thought of my parents.

_I wish Otou-san and Okaa-san were here. _

_Otou-san, would you be proud of me today? You said I made you proud the day you died; but after all of the mistakes I've made in these last several years, would you still be proud? _

_I wish you could give me a sign to let me know… _

And then my thoughts turned to Kenshin.

_Is he as nervous as I am? Will I be able to please him as his wife? _

And then I blushed at what was most likely going to happen that night.

_No Kaoru! Don't think about those kinds of things right now! Bad, bad Kaoru! _

"Kaoru-chan, are you ready?" Misao asked coming into the room, dressed in a deep blue kimono with a border of white and a silver-blue obi. The kimono was dotted with white sakura petals and looked gorgeous.

Tae, Megumi, my friend Sayo, and Tomoe-san walked in after Misao, dressed identically in the same kimono as her. Megumi smiled and gasped, and Tae grinned really big at me, her brown eyes twinkling. Tomoe-san walked over to me, a serene smile on her face and her dark eyes glowing.

"You look beautiful Kaoru-chan," she said.

I blushed and wiggled my toes.

"Come on; we have to get to the shrine."

**_-/-/-/-/- _**

**-Kenshin- **

I was waiting at the altar, my best men standing in a line beside me.

Kaoru's maids-of-honor stood across from the guys, each holding a bouquet of white roses. We chose not to have both bridesmaids and groomsmen because it would be just too hard to choose who was what, and all of our friends were equally important to us. So everyone was either a maid-of-honor, or a best man, with the exceptions of Ayame and Suzume, who were the flower girls. Two of Kaoru's students, Yahiko and Yutaro, were chosen to be the ring bearers, and her only female student, Tsubame, was asked to play the violin for Kaoru's walk down the aisle.

I heard the distinct sound of a violin, and I looked to the door of the shrine. There stood Kaoru in all her ethereal glory, her arm resting in Gensai-sensei's arm, as he would be giving her away since he was her adoptive father.

She seemed to be floating as she walked toward me, and I felt myself smile. She caught my smile, and returned it back with one of her own. My heart was racing in anticipation; I knew the ceremony wouldn't last very long.

She reached the altar, and the priest said a few prayers, though I was vaguely aware of what was being said. I was only aware of her hand being held in mine, and how soft it felt compared to my own. The ceremony was nearly over; the priest passed me a small cup of sake, and I took a sip. He then passed it to Kaoru and she followed suit. The process repeated twice more, and then Yahiko and Yutaro stepped forward with the rings.

I took her ring and placed it on her finger, and she took mine and slid it onto my own finger.

My heart swelled as I looked at her, her eyes glowing and happy. I leaned forward, and gave her a long kiss; she returned it full on, and I felt myself drifting away as if in some kind of dream. Cheers surrounded us as I picked her up bridal style and carried her out to the car that had been arranged.

It was done. We were bound together, and neither of us objected.

The reception was small, and each of our friends said a few words in our honor. Gifts were received, and thank-yous were said. Soon it was over, and we were on our way to the hotel room that had been arranged for us.

Standing outside the door to our room, I unlocked the door, and swung it open to reveal a large and comfortable suite for the two of us. I smiled down at my bride, who smiled back up at me, and I picked her up bridal-style and carried her inside.

She giggled sweetly, and we eventually found ourselves dancing to something too sacred and beautiful to be described. I was only aware of how surreal she looked to me, and how her body hummed with life under my hands…

**_-/-/-/-/- _**

As we lay there under the covers that night, I couldn't help but hope that it had not all been a dream. Kaoru was slowly drifting to sleep in my embrace, her warmth providing me with a comfort I knew I would never be able to let go.

She smiled up at me quietly, her sapphire hues shimmering in the candlelight that surrounded us.

"Aishiteru," she whispered, and snuggled closer to me.

I leaned down and gave her a soft, passionate kiss. "Aishiteru."

That night I was the happiest man alive as I fell into a blissful sleep with my new wife.

**_-/-/-/-/- _**

**_--Nine and a Half Months Later…-- _**

**_-/-/-/-/- _**

"**KENSHIN!!!**"

"I'm right here, Kaoru! Right here! Keep going, your doing a great job!" I told my wife as she lay with sweat dripping down her forehead. I was holding her hand in a death grip with one hand, as I dabbed at her forehead with cold towel using my other hand.

The contractions had started early that February morning, but Kaoru had been in labor for almost 14 hours…until now that is.

"C'mon Kaoru-chan! Just a little more! Push! Keep pushing!!!" Megumi encouraged as she stood at the foot of the bed.

"I see the head; keep going, Kaoru! Just one more--and there it is!" she exclaimed joyously as the tender wails of a newborn baby filled the room.

"It's a boy!"

First I was shocked, then amazed, then elated. I leaned down and kissed Kaoru full on the mouth, unaware of the happy tears streaming down both our faces.

It felt so amazing; in a matter of moments I went from a father-to-be to an actual father.

"Kenshin, why don't you go and give everyone the good news while we get Kaoru cleaned up?" Megumi suggested.

I nodded, kissed Kaoru one last time, and left to go to the waiting room.

When they saw me come out, all of our friends crowded around, asking questions.

"Is she okay?"

"Is it a boy?"

"Is it a girl?"

"Are you okay?"

"Do you need to lie down?"

"Matte!" I said loudly enough for them to hear me over each other's voices.

"Yes, yes, no, yes, and yes."

They looked at me weirdly. "Huh?"

I took a deep breath and slowly clarified my answers.

"Kaoru is fine; they're getting her cleaned up and comfortable as we speak. She gave birth to a boy. I'm more than okay; I'm elated and still somewhat shocked. And yes, if I could get a nap right now I'd love it, but I think I'd really rather be with my son and wife for sometime."

My friends shot big grins my way, and I received a few pats on the back from the guys and hugs from the girls.

"Ken-san? You can see Kaoru and your son now. She's in Room 118," Megumi said, coming into the waiting area. "The rest of you have to wait."

I heard a few grumbles and sighs as I left.

Walking into her room, I was greeted by the sight of my wife lying peacefully asleep. I smiled; she deserved a good rest after so many uncomfortable nights in the duration of the past several months.

As I got closer to the bed, I noticed a small crib next to it. I went over to it and looked inside.

I gasped slightly, and my eyes widened. In the crib lay a baby wrapped in warm blankets, with red hair and closed eyes. Reaching in, I very gently and very carefully removed the child from the crib and held him in my arms, making sure to support his neck.

As I watched, very slowly his little eyes fluttered open. I smiled.

"You have your mother's eyes, little one," I whispered. "Though you ended up with my hair. That's fine."

The infant reached his hand up, and I held it gently between the fingers of my left hand. Immediately, he grabbed my index finger, and a small gurgle of joy emitted from his mouth.

I sat down next to Kaoru's bed in the nearby armchair, cradling my son while he held onto my finger still.

"We have to name him, y'know," Kaoru said, her voice floating to my ears in the comfortable silence of the room.

I looked up at her, her face tired but her eyes alight with love and joy and tenderness. Smiling at her, I lifted the baby so that I could see him better, remembering to support his neck. The next thing I knew, he was pulling quite hard on a lock of my own red hair.

"Itai!" I yelped when I felt the pain shoot through my scalp; Kaoru started giggling in the background.

"The both of you look so cute together," she said through her laughter.

I looked back at her with a grin, and gave our son to her so she could hold him.

"What do you think we should name him?" I asked.

She looked at our little redhead, and gave him her finger to hold in his tiny hand.

"Kenji…" she whispered.

"Kenji? 'Sacred sword'?" I asked, then looked at our son.

"Why not? Your name means 'Heart of Sword'. I think it fits quite well; don't you?" she explained, looking at me.

"Kenji…" I said to myself, letting it roll around in my head. "You're right, it does fit."

I picked up our son, and held him up so that we were face to face.

"Little one, your name is Kenji."

Kaoru giggled. "You make it look so ceremonious, Kenshin."

I looked at her. "Isn't it a kind-of ceremony? How else would people name their kids?"

"You killed it, Kenshin."

I laughed. "I did, didn't I?"

She nodded. "Now give me back my son; I want to introduce us to him."

"You mean our son," I clarified as I gave Kenji back to Kaoru.

"Yes that too."

She looked down at Kenji and smiled.

"Hello Kenji-kun. I'm your mother, Kaoru. And that," she said while turning to face me, "is the man who has made me the happiest person on the face of the Earth and the only other person I love the most besides you. Meet your father, Himura Kenshin. Welcome to our world, chibi-chan."

I smiled at the little pet name. "Chibi-chan" seemed to suit Kenji; he was really quite small. But then, it is also true that his parents are quite short themselves…

We spent that day and the next at the hospital, and on the third day, Kaoru came home to the dojo with little Kenji. Our friends were all there to greet us and the baby, and we spent the evening in laughter and smiles.

And yes, I did say the dojo earlier.

At the beginning of our marriage, Kaoru realized that it was time for her to return home to the house her father had left for her. And since we were married, wherever she moved I moved as well.

So we moved in, and Kaoru told me that her father's spirit seemed to have left or was at peace. The main reason he had probably stuck around was to see her married and happy with her life.

As Kaoru and I enjoyed our time with our friends on the day Kenji came home, and later as we put Kenji to bed, I realized too that I felt complete; I didn't need or really want anything else in my life. As long as I had my family and friends, I was at peace.

And Kaoru felt the same exact way.

**_--Owari-- _**

**_-/-/-/-/- _**

**_Ending Note: _**

Dear readers,

Wow. I can't believe it.

This is the first time I have actually managed to finish a fic.

Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing. I would not have managed to finish this without all of your support.

Sometimes the readers wonder why the author wrote such a story. I've decided to give an explanation about my fic to those of you who wish to read it.

As I look back on it now, I don't remember exactly how I came up with this idea. I think it was because of all of the other books and pieces of literature and fanfictions that I was reading at the time. Pieces like**_ charismatic angel's_ A New Beginning_, Chiki's _**(now **_Chikifriend's_**)** IN THE END WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU** and** FOURTEEN DAYS_, matthias208's _Separate by Species_, LittoGrrlStephie's _Law Crazy** and **Curse of the Night_, Kanzen ne Tsuki's_ The Bad Kid_, Marie Nomad's _To Be Free** and**_ Vixen1's _Still Be Free**… and few others that I can't remember right now. Not to mention Alice Walker's** _The Color Purple_. **

I grew to love angst and darkness, and I came to the realization that my own life has some angst: parents with high expectations, an unrequited love, efforts to fit in with the people around me when I feel so different because of my disability (I'm blind and it's really obvious).

And so, out popped this story in the form of stress relief and a large burst of clichéd creativity. Granted, I myself didn't expect it to become so dark with so many mentions of mature themes, but I love this story nonetheless. I cherish it and I will always hold on to it. It holds my dream, a dream of a love such as Kenshin and Kaoru's love, because I know that that's the kind of love I want in my future: a love as pure and as beautiful as life itself. I can only dream to receive such a love.

And so I leave you with the hope that you enjoyed this piece. Sure, it's not the best but nevertheless, I hope that it may have meant something special to you as well.

Finally, if you know someone who was in the same situation as Kaoru was in this fic, then please don't leave that person fighting on his or her own. And if they've given up, revive their fighting spirit; everyone deserves to be free of such problems. Call the police, Social Services, anything that will help them; let them know that you care and that you're worried and that they are loved by others. Don't leave them hanging in the dust.

My last request of all of you is to review this fic one last time. Click the pretty button!

Until next time because good-byes are too permanent,

**_--IceAngelKaoru (Signing out--2:49 AM PST, November 14, 2004) _**


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